Burden also reportedly suffered an undisclosed injury after landing awkwardly on a football, but per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, the hamstring strain is the issue currently keeping Burden from returning to practice. Johnson’s day-to-day classification is promising, but the rookie receiver is missing valuable reps. Per Cronin, “veteran wide receivers Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay have taken reps with the first-team unit during the early days of training camp.” Johnson summed up Burden’s real-life and fantasy status succinctly, saying, “the sooner we get him out there, the quicker he can carve a role for himself.”

Morris said Pitts is ready to go but did note that he would have some slight modifications in his practice regimen, as is the case with offensive tackle Kaleb McGary, who is also working his way back from an injury. Pitts was absent from OTAs because of the foot issue, causing some concern that he was going to enter yet another season with a lingering injury. Pitts has disappointed fantasy managers for years and a true breakout looks unlikely at this point. He’s simply a TE2 bet on a solid role with some splash plays for 2025.

Jennings is reportedly seeking a new contract or a trade before the start of the season, but it was business as usual for the first practice of training camp. The veteran wideout was on the field, practicing in full despite his desire for a new deal. 49ers GM John Lynch has also said that Jennings didn’t formally request a trade. As far as contract stalemates go, this one seems rather amicable. Barring a sudden turn of events, Jennings is on track to open the year as San Francisco’s No. 1 receiver. He should hold onto that role until Brandon Aiyuk is fully recovered from the multi-ligament knee injury he suffered last year.

As Cronin notes, Burden got banged up when he landed on the ball in an early offseason practice. He was also dealing with a hamstring issue at one point. It’s not clear which injury is forcing him to miss the start of camp, but it’s a bad sign no matter the cause. The fact that Ben Johnson previously indicated that Burden would be ready for camp and he isn’t is an even brighter red flag. Burden left Mizzou as a schemed-touches master, perfect for Johnson’s heavily curated offense. Fantasy managers should still bet on him carving out a role as a rookie, but the odds of that happening early in the season are decreasing by the day.

Schultz said Allen, 33, who had 70 receptions for 744 yards and seven touchdowns last season with the Bears, has “been waiting for training camps to open to better assess the landscape and get a clearer picture of each team’s wide receiver situation.” Allen ranked 16th among wideouts in targets, operating for much of the year as Chicago’s No. 1 receiver. Look for Allen to sign this summer with a wideout-needy team that would use him as an every-down player. Some teams in need to receiver help include the Patriots, Steelers, Cowboys, Seahawks, and Jets.

Schottenheimer also described Pickens’ ability to track and secure downfield attempts is “uncanny” and should change the Dallas offense in 2025. Dak Prescott has sung Pickens’ praises since he was traded to the Cowboys a couple months ago, calling Pickens more than just a deep ball specialist. Schottenheimer said last year’s Cowboys “didn’t have enough explosive plays” and the addition of Pickens — who in 2024 had the league’s second most receiving yards on downfield targets — should be the solution in 2025. Pickens is quietly an excellent fantasy pick in a Dallas offense that should have a condensed target distribution.

It could be a way for the Bengals to prevent yet another miserable start to the regular season, though putting Burrow in harm’s way during meaningless August games presents some risk. Last year, Burrow completed five of seven preseason passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. It was the first preseason action he had seen since 2021, when he completed his lone preseason attempt. Hopefully Burrow can stay healthy and upright as the team ramps up his August playing time.

Head coach Brian Daboll said Nabers, who has dealt with a toe injury that dates back to his days at LSU, is “ready to go” for camp after the Giants were cautious with his offseason workload. Nabers in his 2024 rookie year was seventh in receiving yards and third in receptions among all wideouts. He was 20th among receivers in yards per route, right ahead of Khalil Shakir and DeVonta Smith.

“These guys will be out here competing but Russ is the starter,” Daboll said of rookie QB Jaxon Dart and veteran journeyman Jameis Winston. It’s the latest signal that Wilson will enter the 2025 season as New York’s starter and could have a long leash as the Giants coaching staff develops Dart into an NFL-caliber starting quarterback. Winston would likely only see playing time this season if both Wilson and Dart miss time. Wilson in 2024 with the Steelers ranked sixth in accuracy and 28th in drop back success rate.