LINEBACKER FOYESADE OLUOKUN
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
AUGUST 7, 2026
(On how the defense performed today) “It was good. We’re just continuing to improve our
physicality and the X’s and O’s behind the game, because then when we know that and
everybody can trust the communication, we can all fly around. So, I like what I saw in terms
of being in the right spots and stuff and kind of ramping up, getting ready for a real game.
Kind of get that energy behind it with the mock game feel, but it’s always good to see us
back out there playing football, talking with each other and flying around.”
(On the rookies having a game-like experience for the first time) “Yeah, I think you have to
be yourself because I think you kind of go through routines that you have for yourself in
college and then different timing of how the games start and stuff in the NFL so you kind of
have to find your way through that. If they ask for some advice on what to do pregame then
we’ll give them that advice. But for the most part, they know what they need and if they feel
like they need something extra, then we’ll be able to chime in and tell them this is what I do.
But for a young kid, they kind of get up, they’re ready to go, kind of mental for them. So just
trust who they are as a person and what they need in their own bodies and then get out
there and be ready to mentally go.”
(On what he’s watching when sidelined for a play) “It’s tough for me. I really do not like it. I
try to, one, put myself in the play since every rep matters, every rep counts, being able to go
through the communications and then make sure that everybody’s eyes are in the right
spots, the two positions that I would be at. And then making sure that the communication’s
getting relayed. You can kind of see it early if it is. And then I look at their formation, what
the offense has out there and see if I can guess the play that’s going to occur. Then I just
watch and see if we make a play on the ball. Always there to give that energy to the team
and if we make a play, like I remember Buster’s [CB Montaric Brown] pick, I was the first
one on the field I feel like. But I feel like we need that energy when we make plays, we all
have to celebrate it as a team.”
(On the team’s young edge rushers) “We have what we need. At edge, I like the team that
we have and those are my boys and we roll out with what we roll out with. I know what they
can do. They can set the edge, so that’s important in our defense. And then they have good
pass rush moves and coordinate the pass rush games with the rest of the defense. So, I like
the kids that we have out there now and I really like their competitive edge that they have to
them. It’s all about playing right in the scheme, and I think they can all do that. So, we rely
on them play in, play out to do what they’re supposed to.”
(On the competition in the linebacker room increasing competition across the defense)
“For sure. Even in me. I see the younger guys getting better every day. I know that in order
for me to stay here and make my plays, I have to get better to show my value to the room. I
always say high water raises all ships, so as they get better and kind of as our room goes,
the rest of the defense goes. So, it’s good to see them growing and being able to trust
themselves, trust their athletic ability in order to make plays. And then when you trust that,
you can trust me as well, and now we can play off of each other and continue to rise as a
room.”
(On improving on last year’s top run defense) “It’s a new year and you are going to see
maybe new runs to our scheme. We have to understand that it takes a lot in order to have
that top run defense, so it’s not really building off it. It’s remaking ourselves to be the top
run defense, I think. We have a lot of the same pieces, so we know we can do it, but you
have to build yourself each and every year and come out with the right energy in order to
have it. You can’t just rely on what you did last year. You have to see who we are as a team
and find our way to scratch and claw and grind out to stop the run.”
(On new LB Jahlani Tavai) “I know he’s a very versatile linebacker. I know he’s been in the
league a long time, so he knows how to play different schemes. Just talking with him on the
sideline, he’s just trying to pick up the terminology, but he already knows basically what
kind of defense we are and what Camp [Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile] wants
in this play, that play, this play. So, it’s good to see a guy with experience like that. And I like
a veteran presence just to be able to bounce ideas off of, see how he played things in the
past, but I just know that he understands what it takes to be successful in the league and
how to be successful in the defense. So, I love seeing him in the room and I know the young
guys can learn from him as well.”
(On LB Branson Combs) “It’s good. I wouldn’t say we had the exact same path coming in,
but I was a late round guy. He was undrafted guy, but kind of seeing his role, giving him the
opportunity to increase, get some plays on the field, meaningful plays on the field from the
end of last year coming into this year. Giving him an opportunity to compete for some more
plays. I love seeing his competitive spirit and he kind of rises to the occasion no matter
what he’s put in. He’s coming back, not making the same mistakes as before, letting his
athletic ability show. So, I just love seeing him grow as a player, as a person but somebody
who I can trust when he’s next to me as well. So very exciting. More competition in the
room. Everybody’s getting better, so that’s what I love to see the most.”
(On joint practices) “Making sure our stuff works. I think that’s the most part, but really how
we’re going to come out and compete against a different team. I think that’s the most
exciting part for me. Guys that I don’t know, so I don’t really have to worry if they’re trying to
take it easy on me or this and that. I have to really go through my process of studying the
plays, seeing my keys and all that because I haven’t seen their plays for two weeks straight.
And then bringing the physicality, like can we impose our style of play on them to where
they kind of relent before we do? So, it’s always exciting and it kind of brings out the best
competitive edge in everybody in order to make sure that we’re coming out on top for the
day. But I like joint practices a lot actually, yeah.”
(On facing RB Travis Etienne Jr. and his name pronunciation) “We actually, when he first got
here, I looked at his name and said, ‘You French, huh?’ Because I knew he was from New
Orleans. And then, we actually had a little mini-conversation about it. So, I was excited
when he finally got up there and said his name. That’s my dog though. Like that’s really my
guy. We text all the time in the offseason, so I’m excited to see him. Another guy who got me
better here and I feel like we had a lot of conversations, especially that contract year, and
I’m happy to see he got what he got. Hopefully he has success down there, but not against
us.”
(On if they meet in the A-gap who will come out on top) “Let’s see what happens, man. I’m
not going to talk about my guy. That’s my guy, but I know I like to compete.”
HEAD COACH LIAM COEN
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
AUGUST 7, 2026
(On the offense during the mock game) “Yeah, it was more getting some guys, some reps.
We would’ve liked to see us execute some of the screens better, which is an area that we’re
continuously trying to work on. I thought we had some good runs. I thought the guys ran
hard. It’s hard to tell in this setting because we’re not tackling, right? But it was nice to see
Parker [WR Parker Washington], Jakobi [WR Jakobi Meyers], B.T. [WR Brian Thomas Jr.] make
some plays and just getting the guys trying to spread it around a little bit and go execute.”
(On how he thought the rookies adjusted to a game-like setting) “I thought they handled
everything pregame and through that fine. I think as we go, we have to continue to get in
shape. I think the guys felt maybe that catch up on him and creep up on them a little bit.
Just a couple of things down here in the red zone offensively, some motion, pre-snap stuff
that we haven’t really had too many issues with shows up that’s young guys getting reps in
front of human beings and people have to settle in and just go execute the call. But I was
pleased with some of the younger guys in getting some of those reps.”
(On strong performances from DEs Zach Durfee and B.J. Green II) “They’ve continued to do
that throughout the course of the last few practices, and Durf had a good rush the other
day, backed up. It would’ve been a 99-yard touchdown; it ended up being probably a safety.
So, he’s showing up. B.J.’s continued to show up in both the run and the pass. So, I’ve been
pleased with those guys.”
(On injury updates) “I got nothing right now. I just know that he [OL Walker Little] had to
come out. Not sure exactly what’s going on but he’ll get it looked at tonight. I got no true
updates on any injuries.”
(On WR Parker Washington’s consistency throughout camp) “He’s a consistent dude. You
kind of know throughout the course of a practice that it’s like, okay, you want to get some
other guys some work too, because you know it’s going to come, right? Like that
completion, the connection’s going to come throughout the course of a day. And so, it
allows you to know that you can maybe spread the ball around a little bit, knowing that
when you come back to him, there’s likely to be a completion between the two of those
guys.”
(On the reliability of DT DaVon Hamilton) “Yeah, consummate pro. He just continues to be a
force inside no matter who’s trying to block him. When he gets one-on-one ops inside, it’s
extremely challenging. Never mind just trying to get a double team on him, where he’s able
to play that double team firm, hold the point, and that allows other guys’ jobs to be so
much easier. But DaVon’s been extremely consistent really from the time that we got here. I
think he really is continuing to get better.”
(On OLs Wyatt Milum and Jonah Monheim) “I thought they were all right. I think we ran it,
fairly well. I thought there was some movement. It didn’t feel like there was a ton of guys in
the backfield, with the two-versus-one defense. Some of that’s going to happen, but I felt
like, for the most part, there was movement at the line of scrimmage and opportunities for
the backs, whereas sometimes there’s nowhere to go, right? And that’s not a fun movie to
watch. And I feel like really consistently the last few days, especially with the pads, we’ve
been able to move the line of scrimmage a little bit, and the backs are getting some
opportunities.”
(On the play from the defensive backs) “I really have felt like that group has gotten better
and better. I think that Araujo [Defensive Pass Game Coordinator Mathieu Araujo] and Perk
[Defensive Backs Coach Anthony Perkins] and [Assistant Defensive Backs Coach] Drew
Lascari have done a great job coaching those guys and working on some technique of
maybe being able to challenge people a little bit more and be able to play a little bit more
man, or just match coverages. I think that only helps the rush in how much those two are
usually tied together. But I’ve been very pleased. Our dime package is, I think, very
challenging to go against as an offense. And all those guys give you a little bit of flexibility
and diversity.”
(On if DE Josh Hines-Allen had a rest day) “Yeah.”
(On the respect and admiration he has for youth and high school coaches) “When you get
your start in it, in youth football. I was playing tackle football at 10 years old and remember
winning a state championship that year, and my coaches, those guys are people that are
setting the tone for how you really experience playing the game. And you’re being taught the
life lessons throughout that whole journey as a young kid. And you’re going through pride
and discipline and details and being a team player. All the core values that you really are
looking for as an adult, those coaches are teaching at a young age. And so, I have so much
appreciation for the time that they put in and the hours that they put into it.”
(On what coaches made an impact on him while playing football) “Early on, my high school
quarterback coach, Geoff Marcone, was somebody that continued to instill confidence in
me. He taught me about the three Cs: calm, cool, collected. Just trying to be as positive
while being demanding as you can, even from a young age, being 14 years old, playing
freshman football you’re learning so much at that age about your body, about how you
move, about how the game’s played, and so many coaches along the way. I had a
basketball coach actually that really kind of taught me so much playing AAU hoops. And it
comes from whether you’re playing football, basketball, baseball, but especially football; it
truly takes all 11, and I think that’s what’s cool about the sport itself.”
(On when he thought WR Brian Thomas Jr. is different) “I think in the spring, very early on,
honestly, you could sense that he had really looked at things in areas in which he thought
he could improve upon, and he was attacking those areas, and not just, like, yeah, it’ll fix,
like, it’ll come. I thought he was extremely intentional about the things he wanted to
improve on, and the connection and relationship with Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence] and the
other receivers. Brian’s very smart. Like you can move Brian around. He’s extremely smart.
He can handle multiple different schemes and concepts and things like that. And so, I think
that he is extremely, I mean, he’s playing confident right now.”
(On the main emphasis going into walkthroughs before New Orleans) “We’ll do a walk
tomorrow, like a jog-through walkthrough, a lot of corrections from today, mixed with some
install. Then we’ll have an off day coming up on Monday. We’ll hit the pads again. Pads on
Sunday, I believe. We’re going to do one more padded practice before we go to New
Orleans. So, I’m excited to see that too, like to see how they respond from, hitting a little bit,
more running, a little bit more work. See how they respond to that. Get them a little bit of a
refresher. Then we’ll do, New Orleans, which I think will be a great opportunity for us to go
against another quality opponent, hit against somebody else. But we have one more really
quality practice here before we do that, which I’m really looking forward to seeing how they
respond.”
(On a miscommunication on offense today) “This is the time to do it, is to challenge some
of your concepts and timing. I think that he [QB Trevor Lawrence] probably wanted to get
there a little quicker when he did. So, it was one of those plays that B.T. can go to the post
or he can go behind the defender and stay there. And I think it was just a little bit of a
miscommunication, from that standpoint, from the leverage and technique that I think it
was Keni [CB Keni-H Lovely] was playing at corner. I don’t love the long foul ball, just like
toss it up and see what happens. And I don’t think that’s what it was. It was more of a
miscommunication that those guys will get right”
