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One big question for all 32 NFL teams ahead of training camp: Caleb Williams' debut and more

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One big question for all 32 NFL teams ahead of training camp: Caleb Williams' debut and more

Football is finally here with training camps commencing across the league this week.

It means the most pertinent questions begin to get answered. How will the rookie quarterbacks like Jayden Daniels or new faces in new places like Kirk Cousins look? How will Anthony Richardson or Joe Burrow fare coming off injuries? Are there any contract impasses to follow? What about the fresh wrinkles from new head coaches like Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles or coordinators like Kellen Moore in Philadelphia?

The Athletic’s NFL staff compiled one major question for each NFL team as camp begins. These are the talking points to follow with the Hall of Fame Game just 10 days away.


Can Kyler Murray elevate the organization?

Apologies upfront. This question has been presented in this space before but has yet to be fully answered. There are several reasons — an ACL injury, a coaching change, subpar receivers — but Murray himself is the biggest. He has had strong moments, but not nearly enough. Entering Year 6, this is his time. Concerns about Murray’s leadership and preparation have faded. Coaches and teammates rave about the quarterback’s commitment and drive. He is healthy. His supporting cast is better. And he understands what it means to be the face of the franchise. The next step is the biggest. — Doug Haller

Was quarterback really the only missing piece?

The Falcons have lived the last three years under the assumption that if they had consistently good quarterback play, their offense would come alive thanks to its young skill position talent and highly paid offensive line. Matt Ryan’s final year in Atlanta, followed by basically a season each from Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder, didn’t provide that. Kirk Cousins, who signed as a free agent in the offseason, should. That’s why Atlanta gave him a guaranteed $100 million. Now the Falcons find out if Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Bijan Robinson are as good as they’ve been saying all this time. — Josh Kendall

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Will the Ravens be able to piece together a strong offensive line?

With two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson leading an offense that now has Derrick Henry, an emerging No. 1 receiver in Zay Flowers and two dangerous pass-catching tight ends in Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, the Ravens have the makings of an offense that could be highly productive and tough to defend. For things to come together, Baltimore must be excellent up front. Yet, the offensive line starts training camp as a work in progress. The Ravens have three starting spots up for grabs and at least two of them, if not all three, could be filled by a first-time starter. — Jeff Zrebiec

Will kicker Tyler Bass avoid the yips?

Perhaps it’s a show of confidence, but the Bills decided not to bring in another kicker this offseason. Once considered automatic, Bass increasingly struggled as last season wore on. He was perfect through the first five weeks and then missed three of his next four field goal attempts, all wide right from 52, 53 and 42 yards. A week after missing an extra point, he made only two of his four FG tries (one blocked, the other wide right again) in a Week 12 overtime loss to the Eagles. Bass was abysmal in the playoffs, making only two of his five field goals. He was wide left from just 27 yards against the Steelers. With the Bills desperate to tie the Chiefs with 1:43 to play, he sent his 44-yard attempt wide right yet again, ending their season. — Tim Graham

Can Bryce Young be the guy?

The Panthers spent a ton of draft capital and traded DJ Moore to Chicago to take Young first overall. Young’s rookie season was a disaster, as the Panthers finished last in total offense and tied with the Patriots as the worst-scoring offense at 13.9 ppg. Young had the league’s worst passer rating but also had poor pass protection and receivers who couldn’t separate from coverage. The Panthers fortified the O-line by signing free agent guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to big contracts. They also gave Young a few playmakers by trading for Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette and Jonathon Brooks. Now it’s up to Young to prove he can be a franchise QB like friend and former AAU basketball rival C.J. Stroud. — Joseph Person

How well will Caleb Williams play as a rookie?

The Bears have built a favorable situation for Williams to join. He’s surrounded by talent: Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett, running back D’Andre Swift and right tackle Darnell Wright. He has an experienced play caller in Shane Waldron. The Bears should also have one of the better defenses under coach Matt Eberflus. The expectations should be high for Williams and the Bears this season. — Adam Jahns

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Will Joe Burrow look like himself?

Ask this question daily for the rest of his career and it wouldn’t be too much. Health feels like the only obstacle in front of Burrow, narrowly missing MVPs and championships in his first four seasons. If he can show the same pinpoint accuracy and necessary velocity in recovering from his rare wrist injury in camp, everyone in Cincinnati will exhale and prepare for a title run. All went well in the offseason program, but now will be the time to judge — not to mention avoiding another random ailment (ACL, appendectomy, calf) clouding his August and September for yet another year. — Paul Dehner Jr.

What are the Browns going to get from Deshaun Watson?

Pardon the exhaustion and repetitiveness; this has been the big question for three summers now. The Browns are coming off a playoff season but Watson is coming off November shoulder surgery. The folks in charge have spent big and feel a sense of urgency to win now, and in a loaded AFC (and AFC North), the Browns will only reach their ceiling if Watson is consistently available and playing at a high level. Amari Cooper’s contract status and Nick Chubb’s rehab are major questions, too, but the Browns know they have a good team. They also know that Watson mixing efficiency with the occasional bit of explosiveness is the best way to return to the playoffs and establish themselves as a true AFC contender. — Zac Jackson

How will Mike Zimmer use Micah Parsons?

Obviously, we can go the easy route with the handful of contract situations, headlined by a potential CeeDee Lamb holdout, but let’s get a little deeper and look at the pending new look on defense. The Cowboys brought back Mike Zimmer following Dan Quinn’s departure to Washington and a lot of attention justifiably goes to how Zimmer improves the run defense. However, how Zimmer goes about using his best defensive player between pass rusher and linebacker, or both, will go a long way in dictating how different the Cowboys’ defense may look than what it’s been in recent years. — Saad Yousuf

GO DEEPER

Ten leading NFL storylines as training camp season kicks off

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Will Bo Nix look the part as a rookie quarterback?

You don’t draft a 24-year-old quarterback with 61 college starts to have him sit for a season, especially when there isn’t an established answer at the position ahead of him. Even if Nix doesn’t win the race with Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson to become the Week 1 starter, he’ll undoubtedly see the field at some point during his rookie season. When he does, Nix must show he can push the ball down the field in critical situations, limit drive-altering mistakes like he did at Oregon and generally provide confidence that he’s ready to pilot an efficient offense by 2025. If he can do those things, the Broncos can count the transition year ahead as a success. — Nick Kosmider

Is this the year Detroit’s secondary comes together?

The Lions’ defense has yet to match its explosive offense in the Dan Campbell-Aaron Glenn era. The secondary, in particular, has been brutal. With the team so close to a Super Bowl appearance last season, the front office addressed those defensive needs — bringing in Carlton Davis III, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. to bolster the position. All four are DBs with a challenge mindset who fit the man-heavy style Glenn likes to play. It’s a strong position on paper. At the same time, it’s too early to anoint this group. We need to see it perform. — Colton Pouncy

Will a change in defensive coordinator produce better results?

After three years of underwhelming relative to its individual talent, Green Bay’s defense has a new maestro in former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley. Players have heaped praise on the 45-year-old this offseason and he carries a reputation of playing aggressive, getting after the quarterback and being a back-end specialist. But will all the good offseason vibes surrounding head coach Matt LaFleur’s surprise hire translate to on-field production for a team with Super Bowl aspirations? — Matt Schneidman

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What should each NFL team be worried about entering camp? Picking one concern for all 32 teams

Can C.J. Stroud avoid the sophomore slump?

Last season, quarterback C.J. Stroud delivered one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in NFL history. His efforts helped the Texans win the AFC South and reach the playoffs. Now, he’ll be expected to further elevate his game and his team. Stroud and the Texans won’t be able to sneak up on anyone. Rival coordinators have spent the offseason scheming on ways to contain him. Stroud and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik must find ways to remain a step ahead of the competition. Questions remain about the Texans’ offensive line quality, but the franchise has invested in wide receivers and defensive playmakers. Can Stroud do his part to keep the ascension going? — Mike Jones

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Can Anthony Richardson stay healthy?

Richardson is widely beloved in Indianapolis despite playing just four games, albeit an impressive four games, throughout his rookie season. An unlucky hit cut his first year short, but his inability to stay healthy dates back to high school. An AC joint injury prematurely ended Richardson’s senior season at Eastside High in Florida. He had repeated hamstring issues and underwent knee surgery at Florida. Then, he sustained another season-ending AC joint injury last year. The Colts still view Richardson as their franchise QB, although he must remain on the field to prove it. — James Boyd

Where do the Jaguars truly stand in the AFC pecking order?

They seemed so, so close to establishing themselves as a conference power early in 2023, but a rash of missteps coincided with the Texans’ rapid ascension. Are they still a team that makes too many unforced errors on offense, or was that just a sign of a group that wasn’t truly ready to make the leap? Or was it as simple as Trevor Lawrence’s inability to lift his supporting cast while trying to play through a handful of challenging injuries? If Lawrence stays healthy and the defensive changes yield improvements, the Jaguars should challenge the Texans for the division title. Otherwise, ceding AFC South control after a brief taste of success will be tough to swallow for a fan base that’s been starved for annual consistency. More than that, the wild-card chase in the AFC is expected to be brutal, so a drop into that pool makes it challenging to return to the playoffs. — Jeff Howe

Kansas City Chiefs

Who will protect Patrick Mahomes’ blind side?

The lone major position battle for the Chiefs is at left tackle, the premium position where the player is most responsible for protecting Mahomes’ blind side. The two players competing are rookie Kingsley Suamataia and second-year player Wanya Morris. During mandatory minicamp, the Chiefs gave more first-team repetitions to Suamataia to help prepare him for training camp. Morris was solid in four starts as a rookie but showed he needed to improve as a pass protector. Suamataia appears to be the more athletic option for the Chiefs if he can show progress throughout training camp. The winner of this battle might not be decided until after the Chiefs’ second preseason game, often when coach Andy Reid plays the projected starters for most of the first half. — Nate Taylor

Can Raiders cornerbacks hold up, and when is the new one showing up?

What, you thought we would say something about the quarterbacks? Excuse our skepticism, but does it really matter if Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew is starting the opener? The margin is slim, and both likely start games this season. If the Raiders are going to advance to the playoffs for the third time in 22 years, it will be because of the defense. Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins lead a deep, robust defensive line, and the linebackers and safeties are fine. The question is at corner. Jack Jones made many plays in the last half of the season, but are we sure he is a No. 1 corner? Nate Hobbs is a tough player better suited for the slot, while Brandon Facyson has been an inconsistent role player his whole career. Jakorian Bennett hopes to build off a good offseason after a rough rookie year. Perhaps free agents Xavien Howard, Adoree’ Jackson, Stephon Gilmore, Patrick Peterson or J.C. Jackson might be interested in not paying any state taxes. — Vic Tafur

How will Justin Herbert fit into a Jim Harbaugh offense?

Since Harbaugh was hired as head coach in February, he and his offensive staff have been explicit about their offensive plan. They want to run the ball and build what offensive coordinator Greg Roman called a “strong, powerful identity.” The Chargers also have one of the most talented throwers in the league in Herbert. Will Harbaugh be able to maximize Herbert’s arm talent while still cultivating the offense — schematically and philosophically — that he believes in? How will the staff at large create the balance they hope to achieve? That will come into focus during camp when the pads come on and the run game can truly be tested. — Daniel Popper

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Can the revived Rams make a real run?

The Rams gutted most of their roster and generally were the butt of the joke of the NFL’s 2023 offseason and preseason. But behind special play from quarterback Matthew Stafford, the breakout of then-rookie receiver Puka Nacua and running back Kyren Williams, the team made the playoffs when most predictions had them winning four to six games total. Momentum can be a fickle friend, but this group certainly had it after their bye week last season and wants to build into an actual contender this fall. Health is always a worry — Stafford and star receiver Cooper Kupp are getting older and have respective lengthy injury histories, and Stafford’s contract situation needs a resolution. Questions also loom about a young, developing defense now minus Aaron Donald, under new coordinator Chris Shula. Still, if the Rams can stay healthy they’ll be a tough out all year. — Jourdan Rodrigue


Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel talks to cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) during the team’s mandatory minicamp in June. (Sam Navarro / USA Today)

Can Miami finally snap its 24-year playoff drought?

Coach Mike McDaniel’s offenses have taken the league by storm two years running, only to see their hot starts fade into distant memories come January. The Dolphins have been unceremoniously ousted from the playoffs in the wild-card round in back-to-back seasons, including a 26-7 thrashing at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs last year. The loss pushed their playoff winless streak to 24 years. Will this be the year the Dolphins finally get over the hump? McDaniel isn’t afraid to face his team’s failures — historically and in the present — but if Miami can’t advance to at least the second round of the playoffs for a third straight year, he might have some more difficult questions to answer in January. — Jim Ayello

Are the Vikings finished adding talent for 2024?

The Vikings revamped their defense in free agency. They added two potential franchise cornerstones in J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner through the draft. But holes still exist — specifically, on the defensive line, at cornerback, the interior offensive line and potentially at receiver. Minnesota has cap space. Over The Cap currently projects the Vikings around $26 million, though that figure does not include the hits of McCarthy or Turner, nor money budgeted for later in the year. Do the Vikings want to squeeze their available funds for 2024 or add more flexibility for 2025 and beyond? They might do both, but how that looks into training camp will be fascinating to watch. — Alec Lewis

Can Drake Maye beat out Jacoby Brissett?

Success for the Patriots in 2024 isn’t determined by wins and losses but by how Maye, the No. 3 overall pick, looks. For now, they’ve signaled that they are content with Brissett starting and Maye likely replacing him at some point in the season. But this will be Maye’s first extended chance to show coaches what he can do. If the competition between him and Brissett is a virtual tie, Brissett is probably the starter. But can Maye do enough to leave no doubt that he should be under center from the very beginning? — Chad Graff

Can Klint Kubiak bring more life to the offense?

Of all the rumored candidates, Kubiak seemed like the best hire the Saints could make as their offensive coordinator to replace Pete Carmichael. He’ll be the first leading offensive voice without a Sean Payton connection in New Orleans since the 2005 season. So while the voice may be fresh, how much spark can Kubiak provide for players like Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Taysom Hill and company? Carr seemed to be playing his best football in a Saints uniform toward the end of last year. But he’s no longer the best quarterback lurking in the division with Kirk Cousins in Atlanta. Throw in a questionable offensive line and Kubiak’s task to turn a mediocre group into a top flight unit seems challenging. — Larry Holder

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Will the offensive line actually be improved?

The Giants have made an annual tradition of trying — and failing — to fix their offensive line every offseason for the past decade. The latest plan involved signing veterans Jon Runyan and Jermaine Eluemunor to mid-level contracts to solidify the guard spots. Meanwhile, the Giants are counting on 2022 first-round pick Evan Neal and 2023 second-round pick John Michael Schmitz to live up to their draft stock at right tackle and center, respectively. The offensive line assuredly can’t be worse than last season when it allowed the second-most sacks in NFL history. But will this group develop into an actual quality unit? The answer to that question will go a long way to determining the fate of the Giants this season. — Dan Duggan

When will Mike Williams return — and how will he look?

The free-agent wideout tore his ACL last September with the Chargers and will open his first Jets training camp on the PUP list. That has been the plan all along, but now it’s fair to wonder when Williams will actually return to the field, when he will be a full-go and how he will look when he’s back. Some players respond better to ACL surgery than others. Running back Breece Hall was stellar in 2023 post-surgery, as an example. Williams’ game is predicated on downfield speed and winning 50/50 balls. The Jets took a gamble signing Williams in hopes that he’d return to form as one of the NFL’s best deep threats and provide support for Garrett Wilson as the No. 2 receiver — as Wilson has gotten little to no support from his wide receiver teammates the last two years. Williams will be an essential part of the offense if healthy. If not, the depth at the position suddenly doesn’t look so good. — Zack Rosenblatt

Philadelphia Eagles

Will the Eagles restore their defense’s reputation?

General manager Howie Roseman and coach Nick Sirianni both said they wanted to regain their toughness and swagger on defense. They plummeted from the NFL’s third-ranked overall defense in 2022 to the league’s 26th in 2023. It was often a disastrous defense under former DC Sean Desai, and it veered deeper into dysfunction when Sirianni replaced Desai with Matt Patricia midseason. Sirianni secured the source of his favored scheme by hiring Vic Fangio, whose old-school approach reveals itself to be a better fit in Philly than in Miami. Roseman invested heavily in defensive players during the offseason. Will a revamped secondary that features C.J. Gardner-Johnson, first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell and second-round pick Cooper DeJean cut down on explosive plays? — Brooks Kubena

Pittsburgh Steelers

Will Russell Wilson find the fountain of youth?

Wilson turns 36 in November and you can pretty much count on one hand how many quarterbacks that age have won championships. Wilson said at the end of offseason workouts that he found the fountain of youth. He looks the part and works harder than anybody but can that be translated onto the field? How will his skills mesh with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme? Wilson doesn’t have to play like he did during his Super Bowl days in Seattle but he needs to be a significant upgrade for the Steelers to have any chance of competing for a playoff spot. All eyes will be on Wilson, and he still has the ability to make enough plays to allow the running game of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to succeed, as well as a defense full of Pro Bowlers to dominate games. — Mark Kaboly

Can the 49ers reverse trajectory on defense?

The 49ers dropped from the No. 1 to the No. 10 ranking in defensive EPA per play from 2022 to 2023. Their offense, meanwhile, remained elite. If the 49ers can re-establish themselves as a top-3 or at least top-5 team on both sides of the ball, they should be able to live up to their standing as preseason Super Bowl favorites. But if their defense continues struggling against the run (they were No. 26 in EPA per play there last season), there’ll again be a vulnerability for opponents to exploit. The 49ers fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who was only with the team for one season, after the 2023 slide. They’ve also rehauled their defensive line and deepened their secondary. Will all these moves get the defense back on the right track? That might be the ultimate key for a team facing enormous pressure to win it all. — David Lombardi

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Brandon Aiyuk trade proposals: Could Chargers tempt 49ers by offering Joey Bosa?

What will the offense look like?

While much of the Seahawks’ offensive personnel will be familiar, everything else is new. Coordinator Ryan Grubb has never worked in the NFL. The offense he ran at the University of Washington provides a general template. Coach Mike Macdonald has never been a head coach previously, so it’s less clear how he might influence offensive style. The most prominent offensive assistant, passing-game coordinator Jake Peetz, has worked under Sean McVay and Norv Turner, but it’s unclear what his influence might be. — Mike Sando

How will coordinator change affect Baker Mayfield and the Bucs’ offense?

Mayfield had a career year under Dave Canales, but there is room for growth with new coordinator Liam Coen, with whom Mayfield worked for a short time with the Rams two years ago. Mayfield will be given more authority at the line of scrimmage than he had, which could make him more dangerous. He also would benefit if Coen could improve the run game, which ranked 32nd in the NFL one year ago. — Dan Pompei

Will Brian Callahan bring out the best in Will Levis, and what would that mean?

Early indications on this pairing of rookie head coach and second-year quarterback are positive, but there’s work to do. Callahan stressed base and footwork with Levis during the spring to elicit more consistent accuracy. Those efforts will continue into camp, for a team with low expectations overall despite investing a lot in helping Levis — Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, Tony Pollard, Lloyd Cushenberry and first-round pick JC Latham. Callahan has worked closely with Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow on the way to this opportunity. This is his first “project,” but if it’s the start of a long-term partnership, the 2024 Titans should be competitive. — Joe Rexrode

Washington Commanders

How will Jayden Daniels perform?

This isn’t the first dual-threat, Heisman Trophy-winning rookie QB drafted second overall to come through Washington this century. Say whatever you want about Robert Griffin III’s career, but the 2012 OROY wasn’t helped by the organization’s persistent chaos. Daniels arrives amid a wave of positivity following an ownership sale and new football leadership. There are some concerns with the offensive line and receiver depth. There is also Terry McLaurin, a solid 1-2 RB combo and an arsenal of offensive assistant coaches hired to help the mature Daniels’ adjustment run as smoothly as possible. — Ben Standig

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(Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Photos of Bryce Young, Caleb Williams and Anthony Richardson: Kevin C. Cox, Jared C. Tilton and Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

Culture

What Happens When We Die? This Wallace Stevens Poem Has Thoughts.

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What Happens When We Die? This Wallace Stevens Poem Has Thoughts.

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Whatever you do, don’t think of a bird.

Now: What kind of bird are you not thinking about? A pigeon? A bald eagle? Something more poetic, like a skylark or a nightingale? In any case, would you say that this bird you aren’t thinking about is real?

Before you answer, read this poem, which is quite literally about not thinking of a bird.

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Human consciousness is full of riddles. Neuroscientists, philosophers and dorm-room stoners argue continually about what it is and whether it even exists. For Wallace Stevens, the experience of having a mind was a perpetual source of wonder, puzzlement and delight — perfectly ordinary and utterly transcendent at the same time. He explored the mysteries and pleasures of consciousness in countless poems over the course of his long poetic career. It was arguably his great theme.

Stevens was born in 1879 and published his first book, “Harmonium,” in 1923, making him something of a late bloomer among American modernists. For much of his adult life, he worked as an executive for the Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company, rising to the rank of vice president. He viewed insurance less as a day job to support his poetry than as a parallel vocation. He pursued both activities with quiet diligence, spending his days at the office and composing poems in his head as he walked to and from work.

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Wallace Stevens in 1950.

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Walter Sanders/The LIFE Picture Collection, via Shutterstock

As a young man, Stevens dreamed of traveling to Europe, though he never crossed the Atlantic. In middle age he made regular trips to Florida, and his poems are frequently infused with ideas of Paris and Rome and memories of Key West. Others partake of the stringent beauty of New England. But the landscapes he explores, wintry or tropical, provincial or cosmopolitan, are above all mental landscapes, created by and in the imagination.

Are those worlds real?

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Let’s return to the palm tree and its avian inhabitant, in that tranquil Key West sunset of the mind.

Until then, we find consolation in fangles.

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Culture

Wil Wheaton Discusses ‘Stand By Me’ and Narrating ‘The Body’ Audiobook

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Wil Wheaton Discusses ‘Stand By Me’ and Narrating ‘The Body’ Audiobook

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When the director Rob Reiner cast his leads in the 1986 film “Stand by Me,” he looked for young actors who were as close as possible to the personalities of the four children they’d be playing. There was the wise beyond his years kid from a rough family (River Phoenix), the slightly dim worrywart (Jerry O’Connell), the cutup with a temper (Corey Feldman) and the sensitive, bookish boy.

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Wil Wheaton was perfect for that last one, Gordie Lachance, a doe-eyed child who is ignored by his family in favor of his late older brother. Now, 40 years later, he’s traveling the country to attend anniversary screenings of the film, alongside O’Connell and Feldman, which has thrown him back into the turmoil that he felt as an adolescent.

Wheaton has channeled those emotions and his on-set memories into his latest project: narrating a new audiobook version of “The Body,” the 1982 Stephen King novella on which the film was based.

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“I like there to be a freshness, a discovery and an immediacy to my narration,” Wheaton said. He recorded “The Body” in his home studio in California. Alex Welsh for The New York Times

A few years ago, Wheaton started to float the idea of returning to the story that gave him his big break — that of a quartet of boys in 1959 Oregon, in their last days before high school, setting out to find a classmate’s dead body. “I’ve been telling the story of ‘Stand By Me’ since I was 12 years old,” he said.

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But this time was different. Wheaton, who has narrated dozens of audiobooks, including Andy Weir’s “The Martian” and Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One,” says he has come to enjoy narration more than screen acting. “I’m safe, I’m in the booth, nobody’s looking at me and I can just tell you a story.”

The fact that he, an older man looking back on his younger years, is narrating a story about an older man looking back on his younger years, is not lost on Wheaton. King’s original story is bathed in nostalgia. Coming to terms with death and loss is one of its primary themes.

Two days after appearing on stage at the Academy Awards as part of a tribute to Reiner — who was murdered in 2025 alongside his wife, Michele — Wheaton got on the phone to talk about recording the audiobook, reliving his favorite scenes from the film and reexamining a quintessential story of childhood loss through the lens of his own.

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This interview has been edited and condensed.

“I felt really close to him, and my memory of him.”

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Wheaton on channeling a co-star’s performance.

There’s this wonderful scene in “Stand By Me.” Gordie and Chris are walking down the tracks talking about junior high. Chris is telling Gordie, “I wish to hell I was your dad, because I care about you, and he obviously doesn’t.”

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It’s just so honest and direct, in a way that kids talk to each other that adults don’t. And I think that one of the reasons that really sticks with people, and that piece really lands on a lot of audiences, and has for 40 years, is, just too many people have been Gordie in that scene.

That scene is virtually word for word taken from the text of the book. And when I was narrating that, I made a deliberate choice to do my best to recreate what River did in that scene.

“The Body” Read by Wil Wheaton

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“You’re just a kid,

Gordie–”

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“I wish to fuck

I was your father!”

he said angrily.

“You wouldn’t go around

talking about takin those stupid shop courses

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if I was!

It’s like

God gave you something,

all those stories

you can make up,

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and He said:

This is what we got for you, kid.

Try not to lose it.

But kids lose everything

unless somebody looks out for them

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and if your folks

are too fucked up to do it

then maybe I ought to.”

I watched that scene a couple of times because I really wanted — I don’t know why it was so important to me to — well, I know: because I loved him, and I miss him. And I wanted to bring him into this as best as I could, right?

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So I was reading that scene, and the words are identical to the script. And I had this very powerful flashback to being on the train tracks that day in Cottage Grove, Oregon. And I could see River standing next to them. They’re shooting my side of the scene and there’s River, right next to the camera, doing his off-camera dialogue, and there’s the sound guy, and there’s the boom operator. There’s my key light.

I could hear and feel it. It was the weirdest thing. It’s like I was right back there.

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I was able to really take in the emotional memory of being Gordie in all of those scenes. So when I was narrating him and I’m me and I’m old with all of this experience, I just drew on what I remembered from being that little boy and what I remember of those friendships and what they meant to me and what they mean to me today.

“Rob gave me a gift. Rob gave me a career.”

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Wheaton recalls the “Stand By Me” director’s way with kids on set, as well as his recent Oscars tribute.

Rob really encouraged us to be kids.

Jerry tells the most amazing story about that scene, where we were all sitting around, and doing our bit, and he improvised. He was just goofing around — we were just playing — and he said something about spitting water at the fat kid.

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We get to the end of the scene, and he hears Rob. Rob comes around from behind the thing, and he goes, “Jerry!” And Jerry thinks, “Oh no, I’m in trouble. I’m in trouble because I improvised, and I’m not supposed to improvise.”

The context for Jerry is that he had been told by the adults in his life, “Sit on your hands and shut up. Stop trying to be a cutup. Stop trying to be funny. Stop disrupting people. Just be quiet.” And Jerry thinks, “Oh my God. I didn’t shut up. I’m in trouble. I’m gonna get fired.”

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Rob leans in to all of us, and Rob says, “Hey, guys, do you see that? More of that. Do that!”

Rob Reiner in 1985, directing the child actors of “Stand By Me,” including Wil Wheaton, at left. Columbia/Kobal, via Shutterstock

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The whole time when you’re a kid actor, you’re just around all these adults who are constantly telling you to grow up. They’re mad that you’re being a kid. Rob just created an environment where not only was it supported that we would be kids — and have fun, and follow those kid instincts and do what was natural — it was expected. It was encouraged. We were supposed to do it.

“The Body” Read by Wil Wheaton

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They chanted together:

“I don’t shut up,

I grow up.

And when I look at you

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I throw up.”

“Then your mother goes around the corner

and licks it up,”

I said,

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and hauled ass out of there,

giving them the finger over my shoulder as I went.

I never had any friends later on

like the ones I had when I was twelve.

Jesus,

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did you?

When we were at the Oscars, I looked at Jerry. And we looked at this remarkable assemblage of the most amazingly talented, beautiful artists and storytellers. We looked around, and Jerry leans down, and he said, “We all got our start with Rob Reiner. He trusted every single one of us.”

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Jerry O’Connell and Wheaton joined more than a dozen actors from Reiner’s films to honor the slain director at the Academy Awards on March 15, 2026. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

And to stand there for him, when I really thought that I would be standing with him to talk about this stuff — it was a lot.

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“I was really really really excited — like jumping up and down.”

The scene Wheaton was most looking forward to narrating: the tale of Lard Ass Hogan.

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I was so excited to narrate it. It’s a great story! It’s a funny story. It’s such a lovely break — it’s an emotional and tonal shift from what’s happening in the movie.

I know this as a writer: You work to increase and release tension throughout a narrative, and Stephen King uses humor really effectively to release that tension. But it also raises the stakes, because we have these moments of joy and these moments of things being very silly in the midst of a lot of intensity. ​​

That’s why the story of Lard Ass Hogan is so fun for me to tell. Because in the middle of that, we stop to do something that’s very, very fun, and very silly and very celebratory.

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“The Body” Read by Wil Wheaton

“Will you shut up

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and let him tell it?”

Teddy hollered.

Vern blinked.

“Sure.

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Yeah.

Okay.”

“Go on, Gordie,”

Chris said.

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“It’s not really much—”

“Naw,

we don’t expect much

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from a wet end like you,”

Teddy said,

“but tell it anyway.”

I cleared my throat.

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“So anyway.

It’s Pioneer Days,

and on the last night

they have these three big events.

There’s an egg-roll for the little kids

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and a sack-race for kids that are like eight or nine,

and then there’s the pie-eating contest.

And the main guy of the story

is this fat kid nobody likes

named Davie Hogan.”

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When I narrate this story — whenever there is a moment of levity or humor, whenever there are those brief little moments that are the seasoning of the meal that makes it all so real and relatable — yes, it was very important to me to capture those moments.

I’m shifting in my chair, so I can feel each of those characters. It’s something that doesn’t exist in live action. It doesn’t exist in any other media.

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“I feel the loss.”

Wheaton remembers River Phoenix.

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The novella “The Body” is very much about Gordie remembering Chris. It’s darker, and it’s more painful, than the movie is.

I’ve been watching the movie on this tour and seeing River a lot. I remember him as a 14- and 15-year-old kid who just seemed so much older, and so much more experienced and so much wiser than me, and I’m only a year younger than him.

What hurts me now, and what I really felt when I was narrating this, is knowing what River was going through then. We didn’t know. I still don’t know the extent of how he was mistreated, but I know that he was. I know that adults failed him. That he should have been protected in every way that matters. And he just wasn’t.

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And I, like Gordie, remember a boy who was loving. So loving, and generous and cared deeply about everyone around him, all the time. Who deserved to live a full life. Who had so much to offer the world. And it’s so unfair that he’s gone and taken from us. I had to go through a decades-long grieving process to come to terms with him dying.

“The Body” Read by Wil Wheaton

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Near the end

of 1971,

Chris

went into a Chicken Delight

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in Portland

to get a three-piece Snack Bucket.

Just ahead of him,

two men started arguing

about which one had been first in line.

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One of them pulled a knife.

Chris,

who had always been the best of us

at making peace,

stepped between them

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and was stabbed in the throat.

The man with the knife had spent time in four different institutions;

he had been released from Shawshank State Prison

only the week before.

Chris died almost instantly.

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It is a privilege that I was allowed to tell this story. I get to tell Gordie Lachance’s story as originally imagined by Stephen King, with all of the experience of having lived my whole adult life with the memory of spending three months in Gordie Lachance’s skin.

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Culture

Do You Know the Comics That Inspired These TV Adventures?

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Do You Know the Comics That Inspired These TV Adventures?

Welcome to Great Adaptations, the Book Review’s regular multiple-choice quiz about printed works that have gone on to find new life as movies, television shows, theatrical productions and more. This week’s challenge highlights offbeat television shows that began as comic books. Just tap or click your answers to the five questions below. And scroll down after you finish the last question for links to the comics and their screen versions.

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