We're in the thick of it now.

Not only are all 32 NFL teams conducting training camp in earnest, but this week brings with it the onset of padded practices for many teams. No more shorts and shells—it's time to hit.

Of course, the flip side of contact ramping up is that injuries will as well. As a matter of fact, we had the first major injury of camp confirmed on Monday, when a veteran edge-rusher coming off the best season of his career found out that his 2024 campaign is over before it began due to a torn Achilles tendon.

However, the biggest news from training camp continues to surround events that aren't even taking place on the practice field –the financial kind. One offensive lineman for a Super Bowl contender got his big payday Monday, but a number of big-name NFL players continue to be no-shows (or "hold-ins") as we move closer to the Hall of Fame Game and the beginning of the preseason.

It's there we'll begin Monday's look around NFL training camps—starting with a star on each side of the ball who are MIA in the Queen City.

WR Ja'Marr Chase, EDGE Trey Hendrickson Still Absent from Bengals Practice

The Cincinnati Bengals are trying to wash off the stink of an injury-marred 2023 season in which they were the only AFC North team that failed to make the playoffs. But while the team has quarterback Joe Burrow back on the field, two key players have yet to practice.

One of those players is wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal. Head coach Zac Taylor didn't specify why the star wideout was sidelined while speaking to reporters, but he did say he isn't concerned by the absence.

"I don't expect anything else other than the plan he and I have in place," Taylor said. "He and I have talked every single day and we're on the same page."

The absence is likely contract-related—after watching several receivers receive massive contracts in the offseason, Chase is due a raise. A big one. His new deal would probably be in the range of the four-year, $140 million pact Justin Jefferson inked with the Minnesota Vikings.

Chase isn't the only Bengals star angling for a raise—edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson is set to make $15 million in 2024, but after a career-high 17.5 sacks last year, the 29-year-old wants a new deal. Hendrickson actually went so far as to request a trade, although he later backtracked on that demand.

"This is where separating business and the team is difficult," Hendrickson said, via Geoff Hobson of the team website. "At what point am I contradicting what I want? Long-term, winning games, all those things are what I want to do here in Cincinnati and removing myself from the team doesn't help the team."

The longer these absences continue, the more conspicuous (and potentially worrisome for the Bengals) they will become.

Patriots EDGE Matthew Judon a No-Show at New England's First Padded Practice

Despite unhappiness over his contract, veteran edge-rusher Matthew Judon insisted in June that he had no intention of "holding in" for a second consecutive season.

"Right now, I'm just going to get ready to play," Judon said on The Rich Shertenlieb Show. "You kind of keep throwing tantrums, tantrums, tantrums — and then you don't come out there and do what you're supposed to do — it kind of gets old real fast. I ain't really trying to do that. I'm just trying to come out here and play football, get ready for this upcoming season, and put our defense and ourselves in a position to where we can win the most games, or to be the most effective. I ain't worried about holding out, sitting out, or sitting in, kind of protesting. I'm just going to come out here and play ball, because last year, that stuff was trash. I ain't really like that. I'm a football player. I don't really want to get into the agency side. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to come out here and play some football."

Apparently, Judon had a change of heart. The 31-year-old, who played in just four games a year ago before tearing his bicep, was at the Patriots' first padded practice on Monday. But there were no pads—or practicing.

What there was, per Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston, were "animated" conversations, first with rookie head coach Jerod Mayo and then executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Matt Groh. After the second conversation, Judon left the practice field and did not return.

The 2024 Patriots have plenty of problems as it is. The absence of the team's best pass-rusher is an additional one they really don't need.

Browns RB Nick Chubb Still has "A Little Ways to Go" in ACL Rehab

When healthy, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is one of the best players at his position in the NFL. But after suffering a devastating knee injury last year, Chubb's status for the early portion of the season is very much in question.

While speaking to reporters, Browns general manager Andrew Berry wouldn't go so far as to say that Chubb will be out there for the season opener. But he did say the team is pleased with the progress of the seventh-year veteran's rehab.

"We are incredibly pleased with the work that he's put in, the progress he's made," Berry said. "He still has a little ways to go, but we're really happy to see where he is as we enter camp and look forward to him [continuing] to improve the health of the knee."

Berry's comments were very similar to those made by head coach Kevin Stefanski recently.

"I've seen him run and seen him work out and he's right where he needs to be," Stefanski told reporters. "As we've talked about all along, he's attacking this rehab. He's in early, staying late. I give a lot of credit to Nick and a lot of credit to our medical team that are bringing him along but we're not going to worry about much past today with that."

The Browns haven't offered any definitive timetable on when Chubb might return to full practices, much less game action. But Berry and Stefanski's comments offer at least some optimism that the 28-year-old could be back sooner as opposed to later.

Detroit Lions Ink LT Taylor Decker to Three-Year, $60 Million Extension

The Detroit Lions came within a game of the franchise's first Super Bowl last year. The team has spent big in the offseason locking up core players like quarterback Jared Goff, tackle Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown, and on Monday the Lions continued that approach—by extending the longest-tenured player on the team.

Per ESPN's Eric Woodyard, the Lions agreed to terms with left tackle Taylor Decker, who was entering the final year of his contract, on a three-year, $60 million extension that includes almost $32 million in guarantees.

"He's been a key cog of what we've been building, what we've been doing. His leadership, his professionalism," general manager Brad Holmes told 97.1 The Ticket. "He's a guy that really embraced our culture, so he's a big part of what we do, and it all starts up front with the offensive line, as we all know, so I'm just really, really happy that we were able to get that one done and happy for Deck and his family."

Decker, whose 112 career starts is 30 more than any other current Lions player, told reporters he had no intention of playing anywhere but the Motor City.

"It's just really special and I'm fortunate and I'm glad that the Lions continue to see the value that I can add to this team moving forward because I'm excited to just see it through," Decker said. "This will be nine years I've been here now and there's been highs and lows and it seems like we're on an upswing right now and I'm going to get to see it through and I couldn't be happier about that."

The 29-year-old allowed eight sacks in 1,042 snaps last year per Pro Football Focus.

Colts EDGE Samson Ebukam Out for Season After Tearing Achilles

In 2023, veteran edge-rusher Samson Ebukam had the best season of his professional career with the Indianapolis Colts, tallying 57 total tackles, a career-best 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.

The 29-year-old won't have an opportunity to back those numbers up in 2024.

Per Mike Chappell of Fox 59, after going down in practice on Sunday, tests confirmed that Ebukam has suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. The injury would be that much more devastating had the Colts not used their first pick on UCLA edge-rusher Laiatu Latu, and Indianapolis defensive coordinator Gus Bradley told reporters he's eager to see how Latu has progressed when the Colts kick off padded practices on Tuesday.

"Well, I mean it's a great one(opportunity) because right now we're seeing a skillset that we saw in college: his speed off the ball, his moves,'' Bradley said. "But once the pads come on, when you don't know it's pass and it's run-pass, can you convert run to pass? Can you have all those moves and see that skillset transfer over into all situations? So, he seems like he's heading in the right direction though.''

The Colts also have Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo and Tyquan Lewis (who can play both defensive end and tackle) on the depth chart, but Odeyingbo is currently on the shelf with a calf injury of his own.

It's a terrible break for Ebukam coming off a career season and a bad one for the Colts, but if there's a silver lining for Indy at least it came at a position where the team has depth.

Texans DT Denico Autry Suspended Six Games for Violating PED Policy

The Colts aren't the only team in the AFC South that sprung a leak along the defensive line Monday.

Per ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime, veteran defensive lineman Denico Autry, who joined the Houston Texans in free agency this year, will miss the first six games of the 2024 season after being suspended for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

Autry, who logged a career-best 11.5 sacks a year ago in Tennessee, insisted in a statement that any banned substance he ingested was done so unknowingly.

"Over the course of my ten-year NFL career, I have never engaged in the use of performance enhancing drugs," Autry said in the statement. "Over that period, I have been subject to countless tests, none of which have ever returned a positive result. I was, therefore, stunned this offseason when I learned that one of my tests returned a positive result. Upon discovering the source of the positive test, I immediately retained legal counsel in connection with this matter. My counsel provided the NFL with information, including documentation from my doctors, establishing that I neither asked for nor was prescribed any banned substances. It was important to me that the NFL know that I did not intentionally or even knowingly ingest a banned substance."

The news is a major blow for the Texans, who have aspirations of a deep playoff run after an offseason in which they were one of the NFL's most aggressive teams in free agency. Now, Houston has to try to figure out a way to patch a hole in the middle of the D-line for the season's first six contests.

"Different Mindset" for New York Giants Offense in 2024

Last year, the New York Giants were 29th in the league in total offense and 30th in scoring offense. Injuries played a significant part in those struggles, but the G-Men were just hard to watch on that side of the ball in 2023.

New York will have quarterback Daniel Jones back in 2024 (for better or worse), but veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton told reporters that the even bigger change may be head coach Brian Daboll taking over play-calling duties offensively.

"It's a different person running the offensive meetings. It's a different personality, different mindset," Slayton told reporters. "I think he's definitely come out and made an emphasis on we need to make more plays down the field. We need to create more explosives -- not just downfield but also catch-and-run scenarios, too. It's something he's really emphasized and I think it's shown if you've watched practice. Even though we haven't hit them all there has been an intention to try to get the ball down the field more."

There are some significant personnel changes in New York this year—the Giants added a new No. 1 receiver in rookie Malik Nabers, but the team also lost star running back Saquon Barkley, who defected to the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles.

Per ESPN's Jordan Ranaan, when Daboll was the offensive coordinator in Buffalo from 2018 to 2021, the Bills were second in the NFL in air yards per attempt. The question is whether the Giants have the quarterback, passing-game weapons and offensive line to be that aggressive pushing the ball downfield this season.

Sadly, the answer is probably, "no."

New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers Fired Up After Sloppy Practice Session

There are increased expectations for the New York Jets with a healthy Aaron Rodgers under center in 2024, and it appears that no one is holding the team to a loftier standard than the four-time NFL MVP.

After a shaky day of practice that included an interception that bounced off wide receiver Allen Lazard's hands, several off-target shotgun snaps and an offensive lineman stepping on his foot, Rodgers lit into the New York offense according to ESPN's Rich Cimini.

For his part, Lazard (Rodgers' long-time teammate in Green Bay) didn't mind the dressing down.

"I would say 'demonstrative' is a good word for him," said Lazard. "You're talking about one of the best, if not the best quarterback of all time, and his standard and level of play is something a lot of guys haven't seen yet. Even this organization -- they haven't really been with him on game day, because being with him on the sideline on a Sunday is different. Honestly, he expects the same standard that he holds himself to out of everyone else, and today just didn't resemble that at all. I think as an offense we were just a little bit sloppy."

This was New York's first padded practice, and frankly this is exactly what training camp is for (especially in the early-going)—ironing out the kinks and tightening things up. But it does show that the addition of Rodgers doesn't instantly make the Jets the 2010 Packers.

There's work to be done.

Maybe a darkness retreat would help.