NFL training camp 2025 news, live updates: Shedeur Sanders’ first start details are trickling out

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All 32 NFL teams have reported to training camp, and there’s no shortage of intrigue and storylines so far.

Shedeur Sanders is officially starting Friday vs. the Panthers in the Browns’ preseason opener. And we’re starting to get a glimpse of what that will look like.

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On Wednesday morning, Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Sanders is starting, and that he’s expected to play “a lot.” Stefanski also said the arm soreness Sanders battled earlier in training camp won’t impact his playing time.

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But Sanders also won’t get to work with many of the first-teamers, if any. Stefanski said the Browns are “by and large” going to rest starters on Friday, so Sanders will work with second- and third-teamers primarily.

What’s more: Joe Flacco, who was listed as QB1 on the Browns’ first unofficial depth chart earlier this week, will get most of the first-team reps in joint practice vs. the Panthers on Wednesday. Joint practices and drills are often considered more valuable for preseason preparation than live game snaps, given the level of competition and how teams treat them. So while it makes sense Flacco would get those reps, it also doesn’t help Sanders much in preparation for Friday, when he’ll face the Panthers’ starters for at least one series. Carolina head coach Dave Canales confirmed the starters will play the first two games of preseason on Aug. 1.

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Regardless of how it’s shaping up, this is an opportunity it seemed unlikely Sanders would get, and he has a chance to make the most of it. There will be more eyes on this particular preseason game than most, that’s for sure.

Top NFL training camp stories

• As the Cowboys turn: In the latest development of Dallas’ soap opera negotiations with Micah Parsons, Dak Prescott told Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein he reached out to Parsons about it. His message? “F*** man,” Prescott said. “He knows what that means. It wasn’t f*** you, Micah, or f*** them. It’s more of a f*** — this is frustrating for everybody involved.” The Cowboys and Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, have not discussed a new deal this summer, multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations (or lack thereof) confirmed to Yahoo Sports. We wait to see if that changes anytime soon.

• Patriots owner says NFL-ESPN merger will help labor peace: The NFL announced Tuesday it’s selling the bulk of its media assets, including NFL Network and the linear rights to the RedZone Channel, to ESPN. And while NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Disney CEO Bob Iger issued boilerplate statements about the merger — which still requires approval of federal regulators and league owners — Patriots team owner Robert Kraft went deeper. “If we want to keep labor peace, we have to grow our audience,” he said, per NFL.com. “This transaction helps us do that.”

• NFL banning smelling salts, ammonia packers for 2025: The NFL has banned the use of smelling salts and ammonia packets ahead of the 2025 NFL season. How did the world find this out? Via 49ers tight end George Kittle, who jovially crashed an NFL Network set on location Tuesday. “I considered retirement,” Kittle said with a smile. “We’ve got to come up with a middle ground here, guys. Somebody help me out. Somebody come up with a good idea.” The NFL cited a 2024 memo from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which stated the FDA noted “potential negative effects from (ammonia inhalant) use,” and that AIs “have the potential to mask certain neurologic signs and symptoms, including some potential signs of concussion.”

NFL team feeds

AFC East: Buffalo Bills | Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots | New York Jets

AFC North: Baltimore Ravens | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC South: Houston Texans | Indianapolis Colts | Jacksonville Jaguars | Tennessee Titans

AFC West: Denver Broncos | Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders | Los Angeles Chargers

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NFC East: Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Commanders

NFC North: Chicago Bears | Detroit Lions | Green Bay Packers | Minnesota Vikings

NFC South: Atlanta Falcons | Carolina Panthers | New Orleans Saints | Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC West: Arizona Cardinals | Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks

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