NFL training camp season is upon us, and isn’t it just exciting to have something football-related to look forward to? Sure, it’s only a bunch of practices, but when you get through the dog days of summer with very little activity, the football diehards out there will take anything they can get.
There are a handful of intriguing positional battles as teams head into training camp, many of which could have a serious impact on how each team performs in the upcoming regular season. Obviously, there are some heated quarterback battles in the mix, but there are a few others at different positions worth keeping an eye on, too.
Time will tell which players end up victorious in their respective positional competitions. For now, though, these are our five biggest battles to keep an eye on heading into camp.
Arizona Cardinals RB: Jeremiyah Love vs. James Conner vs. Tyler Allgeier
As the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, expectations for Jeremiyah Love to produce right out of the gate will be very high. That said, recent comments by Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett seem to indicate that James Conner is the current favorite for their starting running back job, even over free agent signing Tyler Allgeier.
In particular, Hackett saying that Love is “definitely a rookie” could point to a steeper learning curve. Conner is 31 years old and coming off a major injury, but he surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in each of his last two healthy seasons. Allgeier has also had over 500 rushing yards each of the last four years. Love is certainly the running back of the future, but don’t be surprised if there’s a firm committee in Arizona.
Los Angeles Chargers TE: Oronde Gadsden II vs. Charlie Kolar vs. David Njoku
For a fifth-round draft pick, Oronde Gadsden II was incredibly productive as a rookie for the Los Angeles Chargers. His 664 receiving yards ranked No. 11 among all NFL tight ends, and including the playoffs, he had a targeted passer rating of 108.3. Though things should be optimistic for him at 23 years old heading into Year 2, he now faces stiffer competition for snaps.
The Chargers signed Charlie Kolar in free agency, who carries a much higher reputation as a run blocker than Gadsden, a former wide receiver who had the second-lowest PFN run-blocking score among 47 qualified tight ends. Throw in David Njoku, a 2023 Pro Bowler with a long history of being a productive receiving tight end, and you suddenly have one of the deepest tight end rooms in the NFL.
Atlanta Falcons QB: Michael Penix Jr. vs Tua Tagovailoa
Michael Penix Jr. hasn’t quite lived up to expectations heading into Year 3 of his NFL career. The Atlanta Falcons brought in Tua Tagovailoa in free agency, taking advantage of his massive dead cap hit the Miami Dolphins ate up to sign him to a cheap deal. The battle figures to be one of the most interesting in the NFL this year.
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Based on PFN QB Impact Scoring, Penix was slightly better than Tagovailoa last year, ranking No. 26 to Tua’s No. 28 slot. However, Tagovailoa was a top-ten quarterback by the metric each year from 2022 to 2024. With a better supporting cast in Atlanta compared to what he had in Miami in 2025, he arguably carries more upside than Penix, despite being older.
Minnesota Vikings QB: Kyler Murray vs. J.J. McCarthy
The first healthy year of the J.J. McCarthy experience didn’t go well for the Minnesota Vikings; despite finishing with a 9-8 record, McCarthy had a PFN QB Impact Score of just 67.0, ranking just No. 34 of the NFL’s 38 qualified quarterbacks. He threw more interceptions than touchdowns, and he completed just 57.6% of his passes.
Minnesota’s hope is that bringing in Kyler Murray will at least light a fire under McCarthy to improve, if not give them an upgrade at quarterback altogether. Murray is coming off an injury-shortened season and has been inconsistent over his time in the NFL, but he’s had a few seasons as an above-average starter. If he can return to that form under the Kevin O’Connell school of reclamation project QBs, the Vikings could make some noise.
Cleveland Browns QB: Shedeur Sanders vs. Deshaun Watson
In terms of the talent involved, there are flashier battles than the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition. That said, when you have two big names with something to prove coming off bad seasons, people will naturally flock to pay attention to a battle between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson.
Sanders made the Pro Bowl as a rookie but had the second-worst PFN QB Impact Score in the NFL among the 38 qualified quarterbacks, while Watson missed all of 2025 due to injury but finished dead last in the NFL with a 59.9 PFN QB Impact Score in 2024. Watson hasn’t played at a high level since his stint with the Houston Texans, but with how much money they’re paying him, it’ll be interesting to see if they give him some leeway over Sanders, who has his limitations but arguably has a higher ceiling as a younger QB.
