Buccaneers

Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles thinks the team has the defensive leaders to close out games this coming season, especially when it comes to not allowing late comebacks and taking plays off after gaining the lead. 

“If we can prepare and we can execute, and we don’t look at the names on people’s helmets, and we can play the same every week and learn how to finish off games and close games out — instead of getting a lead and just taking plays off, or not having a lead and having to come back late,” Bowles said, via JoeBucsFan.com.

“You just want to play four quarters and you want to go out there,” Bowles added. “And I think we have those types of alpha dogs on our team right now that will make this team to elevate to that. When they start coaching themselves and don’t need too much coaching on the sideline, that’s when you know you’ve arrived.”

Falcons

Falcons QB Michael Penix, Jr. said the next step in his recovery is absorbing contact in a game-type situation.

“For me, the next milestone is taking contact because right now everything is non-contact,” Penix said, via Falcons Wire. “And, you know, that’s tough obviously with quarterbacks, we don’t get touched in practice so my first contact. We can do simulation drills and stuff like that but obviously for all of the quarterbacks across the league, the first time you get hit is the first game of the season. So that would be the next step. Just making sure I’m confident in my knee and confident to being able to take contact and keep playing.”

Panthers

Panthers WR Xavier Legette recorded just 35 receptions for 363 yards and three touchdowns last season, all of which were dips from his rookie season. Legette said he’s focused on having a career year and can’t struggle as he did in 2025. 

“My main thing is just to have a better year than my first two years,” Legette said, via Joseph Person of The Athletic. “I can’t have another year like I did last year. I can’t do that.”

Legette admitted that he cannot allow mishaps to continue happening. 

“Just doing the little things that I’ve gotta clean up,” Legette said. “Just the mishaps that were happening last year, I can’t let that happen.”

Legette thinks his hamstrings have been limiting him since his college days at South Carolina and is trying to be “bulletproof” with his health in 2026. 

“That played a big part in everything that I’ve been doing my first two years, limiting me,” Legette said. “So I’m just trying to bulletproof my hamstrings. Keep my hamstrings intact and keep my body up under me.”