Each AFC team's biggest challenge for 2025, plus Shedeur Sanders suffers oblique injury

Happy midweek, everyone! John Breech is busy finding the next inside scoop on Bengals weapons (more on that below). So today's Pick Six newsletter is brought to you by Cody Benjamin, with tidbits on all the latest from around the NFL.

Be sure to subscribe right here, to ensure you never miss a daily dose of NFL updates. And keep on reading for everything from major contract news to big-name injury updates out of training camp:

1. Bills pay James Cook, ending RB's summer hold-in

James Cook returned to Buffalo Bills practice on Tuesday, signaling a change of course in the running back's negotiations over a long-term contract. Wednesday brought the official resolution, with the Bills announcing a four-year extension for the two-time Pro Bowler. Cook's new deal is reportedly worth $48 million, tying him to Buffalo through 2029 with an average annual payout of $12 million. That number makes the veteran one of the NFL's six highest-paid ball carriers going into the season.

2. Joint practice primer: Key battles to watch at camp

The next round of preseason action is on the way. Before that, however, many teams will go head to head on the practice field, thanks to a slew of joint training camp sessions around the NFL. Tyler Sullivan rounded up all the teams set to share the field in the coming days, identifying some key things to watch in the lead-up to Week 2 of the preseason:

• Jaxson Dart vs. the Jets: As he tries to further endear himself to the Giants' coaching staff, the rookie will go up against one of the toughest defenses in the league in the Jets. If he can perform well against a unit that was tied for the second-fewest yards per play allowed in the league last season, his stock should only continue to skyrocket.
• Shedeur Sanders vs. the Eagles: Sanders was arguably the biggest story to come out of Week 1 of the preseason. After getting the start and performing well, the perception is that he has created some momentum for himself to possibly move up the depth chart. But is that the reality? Whether he gets any work with the first-team offense during this period will be telling. NOTE: Sanders injured his oblique on Wednesday and could miss time.
• Patriots O-line vs. the Vikings: This reshaped offensive line will be tested against an extremely talented Vikings pass rush. Last season, Minnesota was fourth in the NFL in sacks and sixth in the league in pressure rate. Specifically, how rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson handle this pressure will be the key storyline.

3. Each AFC team's biggest challenge in 2025

The offseason is a time for hope. But that doesn't mean every team is flawless. Jared Dubin just combed through each of the AFC's 16 squads to zero in on the biggest hurdles of the upcoming season. And in Pittsburgh, the same man who's given lots of Steelers faithful added reason to tune in this year is the same man who could drag the Steelers down, Dubin argues:

Rodgers is, at this point, a major question mark for whichever team he's on. Not just in terms of the quality of his play, but also his willingness to actually work inside the structure of an NFL offense. His touchdown-to-interception ratio in New York last year is wildly misleading when it comes to how he actually played. He was short-cutting the options within the system repeatedly to avoid getting hit, spraying throws underneath or deep down the field on a whim rather than going through his progressions and finding the right man with whom to pepper the ball. The idea that he's going to be a seamless fit with Arthur Smith because Smith once coached with Matt LaFleur is ... questionable to say the least.

Check out Dubin's full breakdown of AFC challenges right here.

4. Injury updates: Shedeur Sanders, Christian Watson, more

Here's the latest on the medical front around the NFL:

• Justin Jefferson joins walkthrough: But there's still a lot of questions about the Vikings' wide receiver room
• Christian Watson set to start on PUP: The Packers speedster is likely to miss the start of the season
• Najee Harris due to split carries: The Chargers running back is still recovering from an eye injury
• Shedeur Sanders suffers oblique injury: The Browns rookie QB impressed in preseason debut

5. Underrated X factors for each NFC North contender

We all know the big names in one of the NFL's most competitive divisions: Jordan Love, Caleb Williams, Aaron Jones, Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and so on. But what about the overlooked potential difference-makers in the NFC North? We identified one underrated X factor for each contender going into 2025:

• Bears: RB D'Andre Swift. Almost nobody is talking about how much Ben Johnson leaned upon the ground game in his Detroit Lions tenure. Swift even spent time with Johnson in Motown. He was woefully inefficient to start his 2024 season in Chicago, but he's still got home run burst.
• Lions: C Graham Glasgow. Everything starts in the trenches, and Glasgow, who's on his second stint with the team, will be tasked with filling the shoes of All-Pro center Frank Ragnow, who retired before the age of 30 this offseason. How he holds up at the heart of the line could dictate whether this group stays on course.
• Packers: TE Tucker Kraft. The Packers didn't take wide receiver lightly this offseason, spending two early draft picks on new toys for Jordan Love. But bumps and bruises still run rampant in that position room. That could leave Kraft as one of Love's most reliable pass targets. The former third-rounder quietly logged 50 catches and 700 yards in 2024.
• Vikings: RB Jordan Mason. The Vikings quietly added Mason via trade this offseason for what appears to be a meaty role. Aaron Jones is still the clear starter in the backfield, but coach Kevin O'Connell seems intent on spelling the speedy veteran with Mason's more physical approach. The run game could be pivotal for J.J. McCarthy's development.

6. Noah Fant emerging as Bengals' newest weapon

John Breech has been on the ground in Cincinnati to unearth nuggets of wisdom at Bengals training camp. His latest: a report on new tight end Noah Fant, who was cut by the Seattle Seahawks this summer. Fant only joined the Bengals weeks ago, but already he's laying the foundation to become a go-to for Joe Burrow. 

Fant has been working in with the first team, which is a good sign that he'll make his preseason debut on Monday against Washington after being held out of the Bengals' preseason opener in Philadelphia on Aug. 7. ... If the Bengals want Fant in the slot, they can throw him in the slot, but if they want him out there when they're in 12 personnel with two tight ends, he can do that, too, according to offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher.