National Football League

NFL OTAs have arrived: Here are some storylines to follow

Updated May. 24, 2021 6:51 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

The NFL enters phase three of its offseason this week, and that means the arrival of OTAs.

OTAs, which stands for "organized team activities," are the first chance for coaches to have their entire rosters together. OTAs are voluntary, but as FOX Sports analyst Geoff Schwartz wrote last week, most players treat them as mandatory.

Schwartz also pointed out that they are relatively easy on a player’s body, consisting of meetings, lifting and light practices with limited contact. Most players enjoy OTAs as a chance to reconnect with coaches and teammates. They also offer a chance for rookies and fringe players to make a quick impression.

OTAs begin Monday or Tuesday, and teams can hold up to 10 sessions over the next few weeks ahead of mandatory minicamp in June. 

There will be some interesting storylines to follow as OTAs begin this week. Here are a few of our favorites:

All eyes on Jordan Love

The dispute between the Green Bay Packers and star quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been the biggest story of the offseason. Will Rodgers force a trade? If so, where? Will the future Hall of Famer and his team figure things out and make peace? If so, how?

Rodgers has yet to attend any of the Packers' offseason events, and he isn't expected to attend OTAs. Nor is he expected to show up for mandatory minicamp in June. That will put 2020 draft pick Love front and center as his coaches and teammates gather for meetings and workouts.

Through all the drama, there hasn't been much talk about the young QB, who was pulled into the fray through no fault of his own when he was chosen by Green Bay in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.

The Packers have always been clear that they view Love as a project. On draft night this spring, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Love has "a long way to go, but we’re ecstatic for his development."

The Packers recently signed free-agent QB Blake Bortles, an apparent hedge in case Love isn’t ready and Rodgers continues to be absent.

How will Love handle all of this when he attends OTAs? On ESPN’s "Get Up," Dan Graziano said Love will probably be working closely with the starters, meaning he will be the focus of attention.

"This will be the first chance Jordan Love has had to run the Packers’ offense since last year’s training camp," Graziano said, "so whether he’s going to end up being the starter or not, the Packers need to see something from him in these next few weeks in terms of improvement and command."

Pressure on second-year quarterbacks

Beyond Love, some other, more prominent QBs need to show that they are ready to take the next step in their progression.

Tua Tagovailoa in Miami is one, as there was some talk in the offseason that the Dolphins might look to draft his replacement. Instead, they parted ways with Ryan Fitzpatrick and picked up a weapon Tagovailoa is very familiar with: former Crimson Tide teammate Jaylen Waddle.

Tagovailoa's other former college teammate, Jalen Hurts, has a lot to prove to the Eagles, with Carson Wentz off to Indianapolis. In 2020, Hurts started only a handful of games for the Eagles and was used only in specific packages. Hurts reportedly switched his jersey number to No. 1 ahead of the 2021 season, fitting as he becomes the Eagles' QB1.

Across the country, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert set all sorts of rookie records in 2020, including for passing touchdowns (31) and completions (396) in a season, breaking Wentz's previous record of 379 set in 2016.

The 23-year-old Herbert became the first rookie in NFL history with at least two touchdown passes in seven consecutive games. Now, he'll be challenged to turn his team into a playoff squad after it missed out on the postseason in 2020. 

Past quarterbacks who made huge leaps in their second seasons include Wentz, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Can these sophomore starters do the same?

Recovery from injuries

Speaking of Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback took a substantial physical beating in the Super Bowl defeat to Tampa Bay and has been recovering from toe surgery this offseason.

In April, the Super Bowl MVP addressed his recovery process, saying it was going well, and all signs point to Mahomes being ready to participate fully in the Chiefs’ OTAs this week, per Ian Rapoport. 

"[He's] about three months from that surgery to repair a torn plantar plate that plagued Patrick Mahomes so much in the Super Bowl … [he] looked like a different quarterback running for his life. … he had very serious surgery after the Super Bowl, and that fact that, as James Palmer mentioned, he is gonna participate in OTAs is a very good sign that his recovery is not just on schedule but ahead of schedule."

Meanwhile, in Dallas, eyes are on Dak Prescott after the two-time Pro Bowler suffered a season-ending fractured ankle in a win over the New York Giants on Oct. 11. Prescott underwent initial surgery that night and a second, voluntary surgery two months later to strengthen his ankle beyond where it was pre-injury and make it more structurally sound, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

In March, Prescott, 27, signed a six-year, $240 million deal with the Cowboys that includes $126 million guaranteed, a record $66 million signing bonus and a $1 million Super Bowl incentive. He recently made some self-assured comments to reporters about his recovery status. OTAs could help get him back in the swing of things.  

Cincinnati's Joe Burrow is another to watch. He will look to rebound from the knee injury that limited his time in what was otherwise a very promising rookie season. 

Last fall, Burrow became the first rookie QB to throw for 300 yards in three straight games and completed more passes through his first eight games (211) than any other player in NFL history. But in Week 11, he tore his MCL and ACL, bringing a premature end to his campaign.

QB competitions

Let the battles begin. 

This summer's OTAs will begin the Broncos' first offseason quarterback battle since 2017, with Drew Lock and recently acquired Teddy Bridgewater set to compete for the starting spot in Denver.

Lock has gone 4-9 with just 16 touchdown passes in 13 starts. Former first-round pick Bridgewater played well through 10 games with the Carolina Panthers last season, throwing 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions.

Both QBs will be at OTAs, and Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said each will have to earn the starting job, and no decision had been made going into this week.

Thanks to the 2021 NFL Draft, there are some intriguing rookie-veteran quarterback competitions, too. 

The San Francisco 49ers drafted Trey Lance No. 3 overall, making things a bit hazy for their current starter, Jimmy Garoppolo. 

Garoppolo is 22-8 in his tenure with the Niners but has failed to be the franchise face San Francisco is looking for. Lance, who played in a mere 19 games in three years of college — two in 2018, 16 in 2019 and one in 2020 — finished 19-0 and won national championships with North Dakota State in 2018 and '19.

OTAs will provide a good indicator of whether Lance can translate his college success to the NFL. 

Another duo to look out for is the New England Patriots' No. 15 pick, former Alabama QB Mac Jones, and their current go-to, Cam Newton. 

Newton is back in New England after signing a one-year deal with the Pats. Jones, who will battle it out with his fellow former SEC QB, has a lot to live up to as the highest-drafted quarterback head coach Bill Belichick has ever selected.

On "The Michael Irvin Podcast," former Patriots star Julian Edelman shared his thoughts on Jones' chances of outdoing Newton for the starting job.

"Cam works hard. Now we gotta see if he can work smart, in the right areas, and if he does, that he’s gonna give himself an opportunity to do well," Edelman said. "But he’s also gonna have to beat out the young gun, 'cause the young gun is there, little Mac Attack. This kid, you know, that’s a first-round draft pick. That’s like a real first-round draft pick."

Stay tuned to see how all the drama and competition play out.

For more up-to-date news on all things NFL, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League

Jordan Love

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers

Blake Bortles

Joe Burrow

Cincinnati Bengals

Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins

Jaylen Waddle

Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert

Carson Wentz

Patrick Mahomes

Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Washington Commanders

Jalen Hurts

Philadelphia Eagles

Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys

Jimmy Garoppolo

San Francisco 49ers

Trey Lance

Mac Jones

Cam Newton

New England Patriots

Drew Lock

Denver Broncos

Teddy Bridgewater

Geoff Schwartz