Chairshot NFL News Report (7/31/2026): Olave Gets Paid, Murray Leads QB1 Reps and Texans Lose Another Linebacker

Chris Olave lands a $132 million extension, Kyler Murray leads Minnesota’s first-team reps and injuries test Houston and Washington at camp.

Chris Olave has secured his future with the New Orleans Saints through a contract worth more than $100 million.

Minnesota’s quarterback competition is beginning to take shape, while injuries are already testing the depth of the Texans and Commanders.

It’s the Chairshot NFL News Report for July 31, 2026!

Saints Give Chris Olave a $132 Million Extension

The New Orleans Saints have agreed to a four-year, $132 million contract extension with Chris Olave.

The deal includes $90 million guaranteed and keeps the wide receiver under contract through the 2030 season. Its $33 million annual average ties Olave with Pittsburgh’s DK Metcalf for the sixth-highest mark among NFL receivers.

Olave had been limited to individual drills and walkthroughs during New Orleans’ first two camp practices while negotiations continued.

The 26-year-old produced career highs with 100 receptions, 1,163 receiving yards and nine touchdowns across 16 games last season. He has surpassed 1,000 yards in three of his first four NFL seasons.

New Orleans has already lost Taysom Hill and may be forced to play the season without defensive tackle Bryan Bresee. Completing Olave’s extension gives the franchise one piece of long-term certainty during an otherwise difficult opening week.

The guaranteed money carries risk because of Olave’s concussion and blood-clot history. The Saints ultimately decided that his production and importance to their passing game made him worth securing before another receiver contract raised the market again.

Kyler Murray Receives Majority of Vikings’ First-Team Reps

Kyler Murray received most of Minnesota’s first-team quarterback repetitions during the Vikings’ first training-camp practice open to the public.

Murray produced the day’s most impressive passes but also struggled with two fumbled exchanges, a miscommunication with a receiver and multiple interception opportunities.

J.J. McCarthy operated more conservatively, relying primarily on shorter and higher-percentage throws. McCarthy began and ended portions of practice with the starting offense, but Murray handled most of the first-team snaps in between.

Carson Wentz worked with Minnesota’s third-team offense.

Murray’s larger workload does not mean Kevin O’Connell has selected a starter. Murray is learning a new offense and working with unfamiliar teammates, creating a reasonable argument that he currently needs more repetitions than McCarthy.

The competition will likely be decided by command of the full offense rather than daily completion percentages. Murray must reduce mistakes as he learns the system, while McCarthy must demonstrate that he can challenge defenses beyond safe underneath throws.

Texans Lose Another Linebacker During Practice

Houston linebacker Jake Hansen suffered a foot injury Thursday and was carted from practice.

The Texans have not determined the severity of the injury. Hansen was competing for the third linebacker position and remains an important special-teams contributor with experience in DeMeco Ryans’ defense.

Houston was already preparing to play without E.J. Speed, who is expected to miss significant time with a quadriceps injury. Rookies Wade Woodaz and Aiden Fisher could receive expanded opportunities if Hansen’s absence extends into the preseason.

Second-year receiver Jayden Higgins has provided a more encouraging development. Higgins has displayed growing chemistry with C.J. Stroud and could earn a larger role opposite Nico Collins after tying for the team lead in receiving touchdowns during his rookie season.

Losing one linebacker can be absorbed during training camp. Losing multiple members of the same position group forces a team to alter practice repetitions, special-teams assignments and roster evaluations.

Houston may need to add a veteran if Hansen’s injury proves serious. Waiting too long could leave the Texans competing with other injury-affected teams for the same limited group of available players.

Commanders Managing Injuries to Nick Allegretti and Treylon Burks

Washington center Nick Allegretti is dealing with a calf strain suffered during the Commanders’ first training-camp practice.

Head coach Dan Quinn does not expect the injury to become a long-term problem, although Allegretti will continue undergoing evaluation through the weekend.

Treylon Burks missed Thursday’s practice because of foot soreness. Washington also considers his issue short-term, but Burks’ extensive injury history makes any absence worth monitoring.

Julian Good-Jones worked with Jayden Daniels and the first-team offense in Allegretti’s place. Rookie Matt Gulbin should also receive additional opportunities while the veteran center recovers.

The Commanders’ scheduled Friday off day arrives at a useful time. Allegretti and Burks can receive additional treatment without missing another practice.

Their absences also create valuable evaluation opportunities. Washington would prefer both veterans return quickly, but identifying capable replacements now could prevent a much larger problem if injuries occur during the regular season.

Bills Add Dante Pettis to Receiver Competition

The Buffalo Bills have signed veteran wide receiver Dante Pettis following a Thursday workout.

Buffalo created the roster opening by waiving Jalen Virgil with a non-football injury designation. Tyrell Shavers also began training camp on the active physically unable to perform list.

Pettis has played seven NFL seasons with San Francisco, New York, Chicago and New Orleans. He has accumulated 92 receptions for 1,231 yards and 13 touchdowns while also contributing as a punt returner.

His most productive season came as a rookie in 2018, when he caught 27 passes for 467 yards and five touchdowns with the 49ers.

Buffalo is not signing Pettis with the expectation that he will transform its offense. The Bills are adding an experienced option to a receiver competition already affected by injuries.

His return ability could become equally important. Pettis’ clearest route onto the roster may involve contributing on special teams while providing depth behind Buffalo’s primary receivers.

Packers Add Cal Adomitis and Kaden Prather

The Green Bay Packers are adding long snapper Cal Adomitis and wide receiver Kaden Prather to their training-camp roster.

Adomitis provides a temporary replacement for Matt Orzech, who is dealing with a calf injury. Green Bay does not expect Orzech to be sidelined long term, but the team needed another specialist to handle practice and potential preseason duties.

Adomitis has appeared in 58 games across four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles.

Green Bay must make two corresponding moves because its roster was full when the agreements with Adomitis and Prather were reached.

Long snapper moves rarely attract significant attention until something goes wrong. Signing Adomitis allows the Packers to avoid placing emergency responsibilities on an offensive lineman while Orzech recovers.

Prather enters a much more crowded competition. His immediate challenge will be earning enough practice repetitions to demonstrate value before Green Bay begins reducing its roster.

Olave’s extension represents a significant financial commitment, but it also gives the Saints a dependable offensive centerpiece. New Orleans has absorbed several difficult developments this week and could not afford to create another uncertainty around its best receiver.

Minnesota’s quarterback battle remains open despite Murray receiving most of Thursday’s starting repetitions. The veteran showed the higher ceiling and the larger collection of mistakes, while McCarthy produced a steadier but less aggressive practice.

Houston and Washington are already being forced to test their depth. Training-camp injuries may not permanently change a season, but they can expose roster weaknesses months before teams expected to confront them.