The NFL’s voluntary offseason programmes are, by design, incomplete. Attendance is optional and participation phased but, as teams reconvened this week, the usual whispers around presence and absence weren’t long in being heard.

At the centre of the ‘in’ column is Patrick Mahomes, who wasn’t just present, but visible as he continues his recovery from the significant knee injury suffered at the tail-end of last season. His attendance at the start of the Kansas City Chiefs’ programme, while still in rehab mode, was mirrored in Los Angeles, where Puka Nacua has also reported while continuing his own recovery process. The receiver’s presence, even in a limited capacity, aligns with the Rams’ expectation that he remains a central piece of their offensive structure moving forward.

In San Francisco, the situation is more contractual than medical, but the outcome is the same as veteran OT Trent Williams ended his standoff with a new deal and is back in the building, closing a storyline that had the potential to linger deep into the summer. His return restores continuity to one of the league’s most important offensive lines and removes a major variable before on-field work even begins.

In Pittsburgh, the most conspicuous non-attendee remains Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers, still waiting on clarity regarding the quarterback’s future, have received no firm indication of his plans — and crucially, do not expect that to change before the draft. While the precedent is far from new as previous Rodgers employers will attest, without resolution at quarterback, Pittsburgh’s entire offseason posture — including draft priorities — remains fluid.

In Cleveland, new NFL sack record holder Myles Garrett has not been in attendance, but the organisation has moved quickly to downplay the significance of his absence. New head coach Todd Monken dismissed the narrative surrounding such absences which, in Garrett’s case, will almost certainly raise the spectre of the all-pro edge again wanting away from Ohio, by reinforcing the league-wide understanding that voluntary means voluntary.

Elsewhere, Jimmy Garoppolo is reportedly weighing retirement after 12 seasons, a decision that would remove another experienced veteran from the quarterback ecosystem altogether. The Rams, while linked to a potential QB pick in this weekend’s draft, have expressed hope that they may be able to persuade the veteran to return for one more season as Matt Stafford’s back-up.

The NFL’s offseason structure — laid out in phases that begin with meetings, conditioning and rehab before progressing to on-field work — is specifically designed to accommodate varying timelines. That flexibility creates ambiguity, as a player rehabbing an injury can be present but limited. A player in contract negotiations can be absent without penalty. A player weighing retirement may simply not arrive at all. Each scenario looks similar on paper, but carries entirely different implications. At this stage of the calendar, nothing is definitive.