The NFL season starts in just over a month, and fans, players, and analysts alike are chomping at the bit for the action to unfold.
The offseason can be long and grueling, but it all pays off when the regular season begins.
Until the year kicks off, fans can only go by what reporters and coaches say about how players are performing in practices and training camp, which can lead to some big reactions.
There have been countless players throughout the years who have looked like they’re going to pan out well in the pros, at least, according to their play in training camp, only to flop in real-time game situations.
With this in mind, J.J. Watt recently took to X to talk about his feelings on this situation, especially as it relates to statistics in camp.
He called them “insane and ridiculous,” indicating that there’s lots of nuance to what happens in camp, and that these numbers are mostly unreliable.
Training Camp “stats” are insane and ridiculous.
Used to think it was always just people joking, but now seeing them seriously reported.
You have no idea what the purpose of that period is, what the goals are, what the context is, etc.
It could be a strictly 3rd & Long…
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 24, 2025
Players can rack up touchdown catches, massive yardages, or inordinate amounts of sacks, but until they are put into a real-game situation, there’s no way to know how they’ll perform or how good they’ll end up being.
No matter how strong a prospect is in college or training camp, the NFL has a way of weeding players out quickly in real-game situations.
It will be interesting to see how this year’s crop of rookies pans out and which players can separate themselves and rise to the top.
