NFL Updates Today: Record Contracts, Major Injuries and Football Returns Thursday
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
The NFL preseason arrives Thursday night, but the league is already producing regular-season-sized headlines.
Atlanta has made Bijan Robinson the highest-paid running back in NFL history. Chicago has reportedly committed record guaranteed money to offensive tackle Darnell Wright. Patrick Mahomes has returned to full training-camp participation, while significant injuries have altered the outlook for Atlanta, San Francisco and several other teams.
The result is a familiar August blend of optimism and danger: new contracts are being signed, depth charts are moving, young players are fighting for jobs, and every practice rep carries consequences.
Football Returns Thursday With the Hall of Fame Game
The 2026 NFL preseason officially begins Thursday, August 6, when the Arizona Cardinals face the Carolina Panthers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central, following pregame coverage beginning at 6 p.m. Central on NBC and Peacock. The game will also help launch Hall of Fame weekend, featuring the 2026 class of Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri.
Arizona enters the game under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur. Carolina, coached by Dave Canales, is coming off an NFC South championship and will use the preseason to evaluate its depth behind established starters.
The game itself may not feature many first-team players for long, but it opens the door to the most important phase of August: live evaluation. Practice stars now have to produce when the jerseys change color and defenders are permitted to finish tackles.
Bijan Robinson Lands Historic Extension With Atlanta
The Falcons and Bijan Robinson agreed Tuesday to a three-year extension worth up to $75 million, including a reported $51 million guaranteed and a $37 million signing bonus.
The agreement makes Robinson the highest-paid running back in NFL history and ends his training-camp “hold-in.” Robinson had been attending camp but not participating fully while negotiations continued.
Robinson generated 2,298 total yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2025 season, earning first-team All-Pro honors. Atlanta plans to gradually return him to full activity rather than throwing him immediately into a complete practice workload.
The deal is important beyond one player. Running backs have spent years fighting against a market that frequently treats the position as replaceable. Robinson’s contract does not reverse that trend for every back, but it establishes a new ceiling for elite, multidimensional players who can run, catch and remain on the field in passing situations.
Bears Make Darnell Wright a Centerpiece of Their Future
Chicago has agreed to a four-year contract extension with right tackle Darnell Wright. Multiple reports value the deal at $116 million, with $93 million guaranteed, which would represent the most guaranteed money given to an offensive lineman in NFL history.
The Bears had already exercised Wright’s fifth-year option, but the extension could keep him in Chicago through the 2031 season. His reported annual average of $29 million trails only Washington tackle Laremy Tunsil among offensive linemen.
Wright has started all 49 games he has played since Chicago selected him 10th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. He earned second-team All-Pro honors after the 2025 season.
For the Bears, this is less about rewarding potential and more about protecting the structure of the offense. Quarterbacks and playmakers receive the spotlight, but an offense cannot breathe when its edges collapse. Chicago is paying Wright to keep the pocket from turning into a revolving door.
Patrick Mahomes Fully Cleared for Chiefs Training Camp
Patrick Mahomes has been medically cleared to participate fully in Kansas City’s training camp after undergoing surgery to repair the torn ACL and LCL in his left knee.
Mahomes has returned to first-team 11-on-11 work and demonstrated that he can run, cut and change direction. Head coach Andy Reid said he does not plan to impose standard practice limitations, although the Chiefs have not guaranteed Mahomes will start the September 14 opener against Denver.
The quarterback has continued wearing a compression sleeve and brace while working alongside Kansas City’s primary offensive personnel.
The most important development is not simply that Mahomes is practicing. It is that he is being allowed to operate the offense rather than participating in a carefully protected side session. His next checkpoint will be whether the Chiefs decide to expose him to live preseason action or preserve every meaningful hit for September.
Falcons Await Answers on Jalon Walker
Atlanta’s celebration over Robinson’s new contract was quickly tempered by a potentially serious injury to pass rusher Jalon Walker.
Walker was carted off the field Tuesday after suffering a left leg injury during a non-padded 11-on-11 drill. NFL Network reported that the Falcons fear he tore his ACL, but an MRI was still expected to determine the full extent of the injury.
Walker recorded 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 36 tackles during his rookie season after Atlanta selected him 15th overall in the 2025 draft.
Losing him would create an immediate problem for a Falcons defense attempting to build a more consistent pass rush. Until the imaging results are confirmed, Atlanta must prepare for two realities at once: hope for a better diagnosis and begin evaluating replacement options.
Ricky Pearsall Will Miss the 2026 Season
San Francisco wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will miss the entire season after the 49ers determined that he needs surgery to repair a torn PCL in his right knee.
Pearsall originally injured the knee during the 2025 season and experienced renewed pain and swelling after returning to practice. San Francisco placed him on injured reserve and brought back veteran receiver Deebo Samuel.
Samuel reportedly returned on a one-year, $7 million agreement after spending last season with Washington, where he caught 72 passes for 727 yards and five touchdowns.
The reunion gives the 49ers a familiar replacement, but it does not erase the loss. Pearsall was expected to take another step in his development and become a larger part of the passing game. Samuel can restore experience and physicality, but San Francisco must now redesign part of its receiving rotation before Week 1.
Injuries Are Already Testing Team Depth
Chicago safety Coby Bryant is reportedly expected to miss eight to 10 weeks after suffering a hyperextended knee, bone bruise and small fracture during camp. The timeline could keep him out through the opening portion of the regular season.
Arizona also placed defensive tackle P.J. Mustipher on injured reserve with a foot injury, ending his 2026 season before the Cardinals’ first preseason game.
These injuries are reminders that training camp is not merely a rehearsal. Every absence changes the mathematics of a roster. A backup moves up, a rookie receives additional snaps, and a general manager may suddenly need to search the veteran market.
Ten Teams Begin Camp With New Head Coaches
The 2026 season includes 10 head coaches working in new locations.
John Harbaugh is leading the New York Giants, Kevin Stefanski has taken over the Falcons, Robert Saleh is coaching Tennessee, and Mike McCarthy has reunited with Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh.
The league’s first-time head coaches include Mike LaFleur in Arizona, Klint Kubiak with Las Vegas, Jeff Hafley in Miami, Joe Brady in Buffalo, Todd Monken in Cleveland and Jesse Minter in Baltimore.
That amount of turnover adds another layer to the preseason. Several teams are not simply installing new plays. They are rebuilding practice standards, communication systems and locker-room expectations.
What to Watch Next
The most immediate development will be the result of Walker’s MRI and whether Atlanta needs to seek outside help at edge rusher.
Kansas City must decide how much preseason work Mahomes needs before Week 1. San Francisco will begin fitting Samuel back into an offense that has evolved since his departure, while Chicago will continue evaluating its secondary without Bryant.
Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game will also begin separating authentic roster momentum from training-camp smoke. August produces plenty of stars in shorts. The preseason reveals who can still shine when somebody is trying to knock the ball loose.
Refocused Perspective
Training camp is where planning meets reality.
Teams spend months designing rosters on paper, calculating contracts and projecting improvement. Then one practice can change the depth chart before lunch.
The strongest organizations are not the ones that avoid every setback. Football will not permit that luxury. The strongest organizations build enough depth, discipline and flexibility to absorb the unexpected without losing their identity.
The season begins with stars, but it is often saved by preparation.
Sources and Full Links
- Reuters: Bijan Robinson agrees to historic Falcons extension
https://www.reuters.com/sports/falcons-rb-bijan-robinson-agree-three-year-75m-extension--flm-2026-08-04/ - Reuters: Bears and Darnell Wright reach extension agreement
https://www.reuters.com/sports/reports-bears-rt-darnell-wright-agree-record-breaking-deal--flm-2026-08-04/ - Associated Press: Darnell Wright contract report
https://apnews.com/article/darnell-wright-contract-bears-ad75b931ec3266be4132e13f06d13d3f - ESPN: Patrick Mahomes fully cleared for training camp
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49442364/chiefs-patrick-mahomes-fully-cleared-training-camp-feeling-amazing - Reuters: Jalon Walker carted off with leg injury
https://www.reuters.com/sports/falcons-de-jalon-walker-carted-off-with-leg-injury--flm-2026-08-04/ - Reuters: Ricky Pearsall will miss the 2026 season
https://www.reuters.com/sports/49ers-wr-ricky-pearsall-knee-miss-season--flm-2026-08-01/ - Reuters: Coby Bryant expected to miss eight to 10 weeks
https://www.reuters.com/sports/bears-s-coby-bryant-carted-off-with-apparent-knee-injury--flm-2026-08-03/ - Reuters: Cardinals place P.J. Mustipher on injured reserve
https://www.reuters.com/sports/cardinals-lose-dt-pj-mustipher-foot-season--flm-2026-08-02/ - Pro Football Hall of Fame: Cardinals vs. Panthers game information
https://www.profootballhof.com/events/arizona-cardinals-vs-carolina-panthers-2026-hall-of-fame-game - NBC Sports: Hall of Fame Game television and streaming information
https://www.nbcsports.com/pressbox/press-releases/football-is-back-nfl-preseason-kicks-off-this-thursday-night-august-6-with-panthers-vs-cardinals-in-pro-football-hall-of-fame-game-on-nbc-peacock - Associated Press: Ten head coaches in new locations
https://apnews.com/article/nfl-training-camp-2026-721d031f4e61247a67e5b1de862ea701 - NFL: Official 2026 training-camp dates and locations
https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-training-camps-report-dates-locations-announced-for-all-32-teams