Best of Monday at NFL training camps: Damar Hamlin’s first padded practice, more injuries

NFL

The second week of 2023 NFL training camp has begun.

Every team has taken the field in preparation for the upcoming NFL regular season — which is just five weeks away. We will have updates every day of camp to keep you informed on the latest news, coolest videos and most interesting photos.

On Monday, Damar Hamlin participated in his first padded practice since suffering cardiac arrest during a game at the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, the 49ers are still without Nick Bosa, and Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson was sidelined.

Elsewhere around the NFL, Peyton Manning made an appearance at the Green Bay Packers’ training camp and Justin Herbert hit a hole in one … kind of.

Here’s what you need to know from camps across the league:

Top NFL news of the day

Colts’ Richardson sits out after nasal procedure

Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson underwent a minor surgery to correct his nasal septum on Sunday, leaving him sidelined for at least Monday’s practice, coach Shane Steichen said. The team’s first-round pick — selected fourth overall from Florida — needed the procedure, Steichen said, “so he could breathe better.”

Ramsey eyes quicker-than-expected return, Mike McDaniel says

Jalen Ramsey might be back sooner than expected, at least if he has his way. The Miami Dolphins cornerback underwent surgery on his left meniscus Friday, with coach Mike McDaniel saying Monday that the procedure went “as well as it could have” and that the three-time All-Pro was in good spirits. Such good spirits, in fact, that he immediately turned his attention to beating his rehab timetable. “Tell me what the timeline is and I’ll beat it by a month,” Ramsey told McDaniel, according to the coach.

49ers GM John Lynch understands Bosa’s absence amid talks

The San Francisco 49ers are nearly a week into training camp and are still without defensive end Nick Bosa, but general manager John Lynch says he is “not at all” concerned about reaching an agreement with the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year. “I don’t like not having one of our best players here,” Lynch said Monday before the 49ers held their first fully padded session of training camp. “We’ve got a really good track record that I’m proud of as a group of having our players in, but I also understand it. And understand that we’re going to have to exhibit some patience and understand that ultimately this thing will work out.”

Broncos fear WR Patrick suffers injury to Achilles

Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick was carted off the field Monday with a left leg injury almost a year after he tore his right ACL at training camp. Coach Sean Payton told reporters the team fears that Patrick suffered an Achilles injury. The 29-year-old receiver was embarking on a comeback after missing all of last season.

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What our NFL Nation reporters saw today

New England Patriots: Cole Strange, the team’s 2022 first-round pick and starting left guard, left practice after coming up limping following an individual run-game drill. It was the Patriots’ first day in full pads, and the acclimation to contact led to multiple players leaving practice with injuries; specific to Strange, members of the athletic training/medical staff were checking out his left knee as he lay on the ground. Strange, who was wearing braces on both knees, later went through a variety of agility tests and after about 30 minutes, he was given his helmet to return to the sideline. — Mike Reiss

Jacksonville Jaguars: Wide receiver Calvin Ridley was the most impressive player on the field the first week of camp and that has carried over into Week 2. On Monday the team did receivers vs. defensive backs in one-on-one drills for the first time, and the first snap was Ridley vs. Darious Williams. Ridley went deep, got a step on Williams, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence hit him for a touchdown down the right sideline. “He’s been great,” wide receiver Christian Kirk said of Ridley. “His intensity, how he’s approached every day, the extra effort and time that he puts into his craft and taking care of his body. Everybody’s seen it, the way he approaches practice and the way he competes, so it just brings up the level of competition in our room and our standard.” — Michael DiRocco

Kansas City Chiefs: First-round draft pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah missed most of offseason practice because of injuries but has been a participant through the first eight camp workouts. Anudike-Uzomah is in the playing rotation at defensive end, and it’s important that the Chiefs get pass-rush help from him, particularly with defensive tackle Chris Jones holding out in hopes of getting an improved contract. “Felix is climbing,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “We all know he didn’t do anything in the offseason (because of injuries) and that set him back. He was a little rusty and he struggled early. … But as you watch 1-on-1s and you watch the team periods, he’s flashing now.” — Adam Teicher

New Orleans Saints: Most of the top plays of the day involved wide receiver Michael Thomas, who had his most involved day of camp so far after having a light day on Saturday. Quarterback Derek Carr threw two short passes to Thomas in the first set of team drills, then targeted him three straight times on the next set. Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore got the best of him with a pass break up on a slant route on one play, but Carr went straight back to Thomas, rolling out of the pocket and pointing at him before confidently getting him the ball. Tight end Jimmy Graham also made his presence known, lowering his shoulder and running over defensive back Troy Pride after completing a pass from quarterback Jameis Winston in team drills. While it was a positive practice overall, offensive guard Andrus Peat left early with what coach Dennis Allen called a potential quad strain. —Katherine Terrell

Atlanta Falcons: Another day, another impressive move or two from rookie running back Bijan Robinson. He took advantage of linebacker Kaden Elliss playing very, very far off the line, stutter-stepping before cutting inside to create a lot of space for an easy reception. It’s this type of talent which has left coach Arthur Smith saying he was “pretty damn pleased” with how Robinson has performed in his first week of training camp. After practice, Robinson said he’s been watching film of Raiders receiver Davante Adams to study his releases and how he “sets people up to create opportunity for himself.” He has often watched film of receivers on his own time as he tries to expand his skill set — something he didn’t do as much when he was in college at Texas. — Michael Rothstein

Houston Texans: The first day of pads showed why EDGE Will Anderson Jr. (2023) and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (2022) were drafted No. 3 overall. Anderson was disruptive by consistently getting in the backfield. There was a play where quarterback Davis Mills threw a deep ball to wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson and was completed for about a 50-yard gain. But when you look at the replay, you see Anderson waiting in the backfield for Mills to throw the pass. The first day of pads left positive impressions of Anderson. For Stingley, he’s had good coverage all camp but today’s highlight play was him intercepting C.J Stroud and returning it for a touchdown. — DJ Bien-Aime

Washington Commanders: Safety Kamren Curl, who is entering the last year of his contract, has said since the spring he’s not worried about his next deal. Curl is an important part of Washington’s defense: His versatility and smarts make a big difference, allowing him to play safety or drop into their hybrid linebacker/safety role. He has not been a big playmaker — he often prevents them via alignment, forcing quarterbacks to look elsewhere — with one interception, one fumble recovery and no forced fumbles in 37 career starts. But Curl had a nice pick of quarterback Sam Howell today. After pre-snap communication with corner Benjamin St-Juste, Curl altered his alignment to come up over the outside half, and that’s where Howell tried to hit wide receiver Jahan Dotson. But the ball was a bit wide, and Curl was in the perfect spot for the pick. — John Keim

Carolina Panthers: A reminder that quarterback Bryce Young is going to make rookie mistakes: He’s now thrown an interception in three straight practices. Under intense pressure the top pick of the 2023 NFL draft stepped up in the pocket and, in what appeared to be an effort to get rid of the ball, threw a pass that made inside linebacker Frankie Luvu look like the intended target because no receiver was around. It was part of a 1-3 start for Young in team drills. He bounced back well, though, completing seven of his next nine attempts to finish 8-for-12 (including a drop on his last attempt). It was an example of what coach Frank Reich means when he says Young is “unflappable” in describing that nothing fazes the former Alabama star. — David Newton


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