Football is back on the practice fields, and a busy weekend around the NFL delivered a little bit of everything: a homecoming, a few injury scares, a massive extension, and one surprising retirement.
The Texans got the headline move that felt the most inevitable once the rumor mill started turning. Jadeveon Clowney is headed back to Houston on a one-year deal, returning to the team that made him the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft and the club he first played for from 2014 to ’18.
Clowney told KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson that once the Texans showed interest, the decision was easy. “I had more opportunities,” he explained, “[but] when I found out the Texans were interested, it was a no-brainer for me.
It was comfortable for me to do that. I was excited to help the situation.
“It was a family decision. It wasn't about the money.
It was about chasing my legacy and chasing a Super Bowl. I’ve got a lot of game left and want to contribute.
I was excited about playing with those guys [Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter], too. Good defense and I can help contribute.”
That addition gives Houston even more punch up front, joining Anderson and Hunter on a defense that already looks loaded and a secondary led by Derek Stingley Jr.
Elsewhere, the Rams had a brief scare with Myles Garrett, who sat out three straight practices over the weekend because of what Sean McVay described as “a little soreness in his lower half.” McVay tried to calm things down on Sunday, saying, “We want to make sure that he feels as good as possible,” and later added, “He’s had checkups, all that kind of stuff, so there’s nothing to worry about,” before stressing that the team simply wants to keep him fresh. “It’s more about how do we keep him as fresh as possible ... there’s no reason for concern and I look forward to getting him back out there with us.”
The Chiefs also had a scary moment when wide receiver Cyrus Allen went down during a special teams drill after colliding with teammate Kaiir Elam. Allen, who had been building early camp buzz with an immediate connection to Patrick Mahomes, was carted off and did not return.
The good news came later, when tests showed only a bruised shin. ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted on X that “Nothing was torn or broken,” calling it “A best-case scenario.”
Detroit, meanwhile, added another big-name linebacker to the mix. The Lions signed Devin White, giving them two of the NFL’s top three leading tacklers from the 2025 season alongside first-team All-Pro Jack Campbell.
White, 28, posted a career-high 174 tackles in his lone season with the Raiders and also brings a Super Bowl ring and a second-team All-Pro honor from his Buccaneers run from 2019 to ’23. The move came shortly after rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder left practice on Friday with a leg injury.
Atlanta made one of the biggest business decisions of the weekend, locking up guard Matthew Bergeron on a four-year, $96 million extension. The deal includes $60 million guaranteed and gives him an average annual value of $24 million, which ties Tyler Smith for the highest-paid guard in the NFL.
Bergeron, a second-round pick in 2023, has started 49 games for the Falcons and allowed just one sack in 2025 according to PFF. The new contract keeps him in Atlanta through the 2030 season.
The 49ers’ receiver room took a hit when John Lynch said Ricky Pearsall’s 2026 season is over. Pearsall will have surgery to repair the PCL injury that dates back to last season, and he’ll be placed on injured reserve with an expected full recovery in time for 2027.
Lynch explained the team’s offseason approach by saying, “We consulted with multiple opinions, experts in the field ... along with our own doc, Tim McAdams, and the decision was made to go with a non-operative deal,” and later added, “You get to the offseason and most [PCL injuries] resolve themselves without surgery. Unfortunately, Ricky’s did not.
He did well throughout the offseason; he got to the point where he ramped it up to the last gear right before camp, and then he came into camp and [with] the rigors of camp competition and what not, he swelled up right away.” San Francisco responded by signing veteran Deebo Samuel Sr. to a one-year, $7 million deal on Thursday.
Green Bay had a different kind of roster update when Jordan Love’s front-side protector announced a new name. The Packers’ right tackle, formerly known as Zach Tom, told reporters at training camp on Sunday that he has changed his last name to Bako-Bewele, a combination of his grandparents’ Nigerian last names.
“I want to have a name, especially when I start having kids and stuff, I want to have a name that I can pass down that represents where they came from, where I came from,” Bako-Bewele said. “I just feel like that name, people will see that name and have a good understanding of who I am [and] where I come from.”
Green Bay has already updated the change on its online roster and issued him a new practice jersey.
And in one of the more unexpected notes of the weekend, former Patriots and Saints receiver Ja’Lynn Polk has retired at 24. Polk was a second-round pick in 2024 and spent one season in New England before being traded to New Orleans last September in a late-round pick swap while on injured reserve. According to NewOrleans Football’s Nick Underhill, Polk was “healthy and happy with his role” with the Saints, but ultimately decided retirement was the right move for him.
In Other News...
Falcons Camp Battle Is Heating Up At Two Crucial Positions
The Falcons have settled into a steady training camp rhythm with four straight morning practices before their first off day arrives on the weekend, and the early work has already started to clarify where the real battles are taking shape. At quarterback, Jack Strand and Cooper Rush have been the most visible players in 11-on-11 periods, while a handful of rookies, including Avieon Terrell, Harold Perkins and Kendal Daniels, are also trying to force their way into meaningful roles.
Kevin Stefanski has made it clear that this stretch is about competition, and the Falcons are treating camp like a proving ground rather than a formality. The quarterback rotation has become one storyline to watch, but the more intriguing thread may be how quickly the rookies can push themselves into the picture on defense, especially with those first-team opportunities beginning to circulate and the depth chart still very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Are Sending A Clear Message With Michael Penix Jr
Patrick Mahomes and Daniel Jones are already back to full contact in their respective training camps, which only sharpens the spotlight on Michael Penix Jr. as the Falcons move through their own offseason work. Atlanta has handled Penix with patience since his prior injury, and the setup around him suggests the team is more focused on the long view than on forcing a quick return.
The Falcons have also added Tua Tagovailoa for quarterback depth, a move that helps them absorb the early part of camp without rushing Penix into anything he is not ready for. For a team trying to build stability at the position, the message is fairly clear: Atlanta wants Penix healthy first, and the rest of the quarterback room can help carry the load until he gets there. [Read more 🡒]
James Pearce Jr.'s Situation Leaves Falcons With One Big Camp Concern
James Pearce Jr. is still on the field with the Falcons at training camp, giving Atlanta a chance to see how the edge rusher fits into the front seven while the team waits to learn what comes next. The offseason arrest and the possibility of an NFL suspension under the leagues personal conduct policy have created a layer of uncertainty around a player the Falcons were counting on to help bolster their pass rush.
For now, head coach Kevin Stefanski has spoken positively about Pearces progress in camp, which at least gives Atlanta a reason to feel encouraged on the football side even as the off-field situation hangs over the roster. The Falcons do have other players with starting experience to lean on if Pearce is unavailable, but any absence would still complicate a position group the team wanted to keep deep and disruptive. [Read more 🡒]