Mandatory minicamps started Tuesday, which also marks the beginning of holdout season for players seeking contract extensions.
Players who hold out of minicamp are subject to fines. According to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, players can be fined up to $104,768 if they miss all three days of minicamp. Players sometimes are willing to pay the fines if it leads to a team caving and giving them a new deal.
With that in mind, here’s a ranking of the major holdouts from most to least concerning:
1. Cincinnati Bengals edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter
Hendrickson and the Bengals aren’t in a good place. In May, the 30-year-old pass-rusher told The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. he won’t play on the last year of his deal, which is set to pay him $15.8M. He said he was “disappointed” with contract negotiations multiple times during a 25-minute conversation.
The Bengals, meanwhile, don’t seem willing to budge. At the league meetings in April, Cincinnati executive vice president Katie Blackburn said, “Some of it is on [Hendrickson] to be happy at some point” (h/t Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer).
The Bengals have allowed Hendrickson to seek a trade, but extending him would be a better move for the team. Last season, he had a league-leading 17.5 sacks in 17 regular-season games and earned a first-team All-Pro nod.
Without Hendrickson, Cincinnati’s pass-rush would falter. Edge-rusher Joseph Ossai finished second on the team in sacks (five in 17 games) last season. The Bengals took Texas A&M edge-rusher Shemar Stewart with pick No. 17 in the NFL Draft, but he logged only 4.5 sacks in three seasons with the Aggies.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Stewart still hasn’t signed his rookie contract and is holding in at minicamp, giving Hendrickson even more leverage.
2. Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini
In a story published Tuesday, Russini and The Athletic’s Ben Standig reported McLaurin has grown “frustrated” with contract negotiations and has skipped OTAs. He did the same before he signed a three-year, $68.36M extension in June 2022.
The Commanders acquired WR Deebo Samuel Sr. in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers in March, but it’s easy to argue McLaurin is the better player.
In 15 games with the 49ers last season, Samuel had 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdown catches. McLaurin, meanwhile, had 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and 13 TD catches.
The Commanders seem to realize McLaurin is a valuable weapon for quarterback Jayden Daniels. In March, Washington general manager Adam Peters told the media, “We want to make Terry a Commander for a long time.”
With the Commanders feeling McLaurin is a key member of the franchise, don’t be surprised if they sign him soon.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers edge-rusher T.J. Watt, per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo
On a May episode of his podcast, longtime Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly said the team has made a “substantial” offer for Watt, but “it’s probably not” what he wants.
Watt — entering the final year of a four-year, $112.01M deal — may want a deal that pays him the same or more than Cleveland Browns edge-rusher Myles Garrett. In March, Garrett — 2023 Defensive Player of the Year — signed a four-year, $160M extension with the Browns.
Like Garrett, Watt is an elite pass-rusher. He won 2021 DPOY and has earned four first-team All-Pro nods in eight seasons with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh has remained confident it’ll sign Watt. At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Steelers general manager Omar Khan said he’s “hopeful” Watt will spend the rest of his career with the Steelers, as former Pittsburgh wide receiver Hines Ward and safety Troy Polamalu did.
The Steelers may have to increase their offer to sign Watt, but Khan’s comments suggest they’re willing to do that.
