The AFC has a few notable training-camp and roster updates floating around, and the biggest theme is that teams are still sorting out roles, recovery, and expectations as the season gets closer.
In Jacksonville, Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said most of Travis Hunter’s reps have been coming on defense. Gladstone described that split as part of a larger process, noting, “I think from Travis’s perspective, I think that’s a great work in progress, knowing that he’s put a lot more focus on the defensive side down the back end of training camp stretch and still getting his plays on offense, but really settling in so that that defensive backfield can have the continuity that it needs.”
Houston also had injury news involving Tank Dell. Texans GM Nick Caserio said Dell is close to returning, which is why the team placed him on injured reserve.
Caserio said, “I’d say he’s close,” and added, “He is not quite there, which is why he’s in the category that he’s in. I think we’ll have a better idea with a lot of these guys after four weeks or four games, whatever it is.
I’d say he’s definitely closer now than he was - let’s say in training camp. There’s a little bit more work that remains.
Overall, he’s in pretty good spirits. There are certain things we just have to see.
Some of this too, is honestly for him mentally to make sure he has enough confidence so that he can go out there and perform the way he’s capable of, the way he knows how to.”
In Tennessee, Jeffery Simmons spoke about how his mindset has changed as he’s grown into a leadership role with the Titans. The defensive lineman said his focus is no longer on chasing personal numbers, but on staying locked in on the team’s needs.
“When I step on the field, I don’t care about anything else but how can I be the best for my team?” Simmons said.
He explained that earlier in his career he would set individual targets like sacks and tackles for loss, but that approach could pull him away from the bigger picture. Now, he said, the goal is to stay in the moment, make the play when it’s there, and trust that the opportunities will come even when opponents try to account for him with extra attention.
In Other News...
Texans Take A Low-Risk Flier On Intriguing Edge Talent
Chris Braswells route to Houston has been a winding one, but the Texans are giving the former second-round pick a fresh start on their practice squad. After two seasons in Tampa Bay that brought limited production and no starts, he arrives as a defensive end with the kind of pedigree teams rarely ignore, especially when they can take a low-cost look and see if the raw traits are still there.
For Houston, the move fits the sort of calculated depth play teams make this time of year. Braswell is reuniting with former teammates while learning a different defensive scheme, and the Texans are betting that a change of scenery can help unlock some upside behind the players already in place. Even if the immediate role is modest, it is the kind of roster add that can become more interesting if the adjustment takes hold. [Read more 🡒]
Tank Dells Return Hinges On One Trait Texans Cant Ignore
Tank Dells recovery remains one of the more closely watched items in Houston as the Texans work through the early part of the season without him. General manager Nick Caserio said Dell is moving forward after the severe knee injury that ended his 2025 season, and the early signs have been encouraging enough to keep the conversation alive about when he might eventually be back in the mix.
The Texans have liked what they have seen in shorter-route work, where Dell has shown quickness and dependable hands, but there is still an important box he has to check before the team will seriously consider putting him back on the field. Houston wants that top-end speed back before making any decision, and with Dell already set to miss at least the first four games because of his Reserve/Injured status, that part of the recovery will loom over every update. [Read more 🡒]
Former Texans Starter Reaches A Turning Point In Unsettled Off-Field Saga
Shaq Masons path back into the NFL has taken another turn, and for a player who was once a steady presence on the Texans offensive line, the uncertainty has stretched well beyond football. The veteran guard was released by Houston in March 2025 and has remained a free agent since, with no reported interest from other teams as his off-field situation hovered over his next step.
Now, Mason has been informed that he will not face discipline for the domestic assault allegations tied to an August 2025 arrest in Tennessee, a development that removes one layer of jeopardy from an already unsettled case. It does not answer the bigger question of whether a team will be willing to give him another chance, but it does mark a significant turning point in a saga that has kept his future in limbo. [Read more 🡒]