NFL OTAs start today: Five must-watch storylines to follow

OTAs are where the real conversations begin, from who's starting over who, to how rookies are adjusting, and everything in between.

Here are the top five storylines to follow as OTAs get underway.

1. Will Chiefs' Mahomes appear at OTAs?

Stacy Revere / Staff

Whether Mahomes makes it back for Week 1 is not the only OTA storyline hanging over the Chiefs' offseason, but it's certainly the biggest.

Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in Week 15 last season, but reports suggest he's "way ahead of schedule" as he attempts to get back for Week 1.

The Chiefs surrendered their long-held division crown to the Denver Broncos last year, and that was a year in which Mahomes only missed three games.

It almost goes without saying, but if the Chiefs are going to regain their title and make the postseason, they need their three-time Super Bowl MVP to be healthy all year.

If Mahomes, our tip for Comeback Player of the Year, doesn't appear at OTAs, even in a limited capacity, all eyes will be on Justin Fields, who would be next in line to lead the Kansas City offense in Week 1.

2. Who wins the Browns' QB competition?

Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel are all in the mix in Cleveland, and it's as messy as it sounds.

If Watson reclaims the starting job, it will bring full circle one of the most peculiar journeys in NFL history, with co-owner Jimmy Haslam describing the Browns' 2022 capture as a "big swing-and-miss" last year.

Sanders, meanwhile, carries the attention that follows him everywhere, and Gabriel gives the Browns a third option nobody is quite sure what to do with.

Jason Miller / Stringer

Watson has the early lead after a strong minicamp, but how he and the others perform at OTAs will be key to deciding which signal-caller gets the nod from new head coach Todd Monken.

3. Mike Vrabel and 'the' offseason scandal

Vrabel took a 4-13 team to the Super Bowl in year one. His second season starts with a distraction he'd rather not be carrying around on his back.

Reports about an alleged affair with reporter Dianna Russini have hung over New England's offseason, with media outlets scrutinising Vrabel's every move since.

Drake Maye has spoken out in support of Vrabel, but to truly draw a line under this story, the head coach will need the full backing of his locker room.

Vrabel's ability to keep his side focused while managing the external noise is the OTA storyline New England didn't want as they embark on an attempt to go one game better in 2026.

4. How good does No. 1 overall pick Mendoza look?

Klint Kubiak, who takes over as the Las Vegas Raiders' head coach after winning Super Bowl LX as the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks, has made it clear that he'd prefer Mendoza to wait his turn.

He said so in March, telling reporters, "Ideally, you don't want him to start from Day 1. You'd love for him to learn behind somebody."

Ethan Miller / Staff

That somebody, as it became apparent upon his signing in early April, will likely be Kirk Cousins, the veteran quarterback who joins after spending two years with the Atlanta Falcons.

With that said, how the two measure up in OTAs will be the talk of the NFL, as the clamour to start Mendoza grows louder and louder.

5. How will the Jaguars use Travis Hunter?

For a second straight year, the most gripping subplot of the Jaguars' offseason is about where exactly 2025 first-rounder Travis Hunter will line up.

GM James Gladstone was clear that Hunter will focus on playing cornerback, which makes sense given that wideouts Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, and Jakobi Meyers are already on the roster.

But after Hunter's sensational breakout display in London last year, he figures to find his way onto the offense in at least some capacity, even if at a reduced level.

And that, almost in contradiction to what his GM said, is how head coach Liam Coen sees it.

There's no guarantee that Hunter will even make an appearance at OTAs while he continues to recover from the knee injury that brought his 2025 season to an abrupt halt.

But if he does, and as we head into this phase with no definitive statement indicating where he'll line up and when, how often Hunter practices with the offense vs. defense will be a focal point for Jacksonville's beat reporters.