In less than a week, all 32 NFL teams will have reported for training camp, and when that happens, there could be quite a few rookie holdouts.
There were a total of 257 players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft and out of that total, 31 of them remain unsigned going into Thursday, but that changed with four different second-rounders inking their deal on July 17.
So will any of them holdout? Los Angeles Chargers receiver Tre Harris became the first official holdout when he didn’t report for training camp on Saturday.
Harris was taken in the second round, which has suddenly become a nightmare round for most NFL teams this year. Of the 32 players selected in that round, only THREE had signed going into Thursday, although that number is now up to six.
As things stand, there are 27 players who are still unsigned, which means there are 27 players who could still hold out.
With that in mind, let’s take a round-by-round look at the unsigned players and whether each player might be able to get a deal done before their team starts training camp. The Cincinnati Bengals are the only team that still has yet to sign their top two draft picks, so fittingly, we’re going to start with them.
Unsigned first-round picks (1)
- Bengals rookie report date: July 19
By now, you’ve probably heard about all the drama here. Things are getting contentious between Shemar Stewart and the Bengals. The team threw a curveball in their contract negotiations with him by adding new language to his deal that the Bengals didn’t use with their past two first-round picks. Stewart doesn’t want the language in there, the Bengals do, and now, the two sides are in a stalemate. Stewart skipped all of OTAs and although he showed up, he didn’t practice at mandatory minicamp. If we don’t see one side blink soon, it’s pretty much a guarantee that Stewart will hold out.
For the second straight year, there are 31 first-round draft picks signed by July 16, and for the second-straight year, the Bengals are the one team that has yet to get their first-rounder under contract.
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Unsigned second-round picks (26)
35th: S Nick Emmanwori, Seahawks (Rookies reported July 15)
36th: RB Quinshon Judkins, Browns (Rookie report date: July 18)
37th: OG Jonah Savaiinaea, Dolphins (Rookies reported July 15)
38th: RB TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots (Rookie report date: July 19)
39th: WR Luther Burden III, Bears (Rookie report date: July 19)
40th: QB Tyler Shough, Saints (Rookie report date: July 22)
41st: DT T.J. Sanders, Bills (Rookies reported July 15)
42nd: TE Mason Taylor, Jets (Rookie report date: July 19)
44th: DE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Cowboys (Rookie report date: July 21)
45th: DE JT Tuimoloau, Colts (Rookie report date: July 21)
46th: TE Terrance Ferguson, Rams (Rookie report date: July 22)
47th: CB Will Johnson, Cardinals (Rookie report date: July 22)
48th: OT Aireontae Ersery, Texans (Rookie report date: July 22)
49th: LB Demetrius Knight Jr., Bengals (Rookie report date: July 19)
50th: TE Elijah Arroyo, Seahawks (Rookies reported July 15)
51st: LB Nic Scourton, Panthers (Rookie report date: July 21)
52nd: LB Oluwafemi Oladejo, Titans (Rookie report date: July 22)
53rd: CB Benjamin Morrison, Buccaneers (Rookie report date: July 21)
54th: OT Anthony Belton, Packers (Rookie report date: July 18)
55th: WR Tre Harris, Chargers (Rookies reported July 12)
57th: OG Tate Ratledge, Lions (Rookies reported July 16)
58th: WR Jack Bech, Raiders (Rookie report date: July 17)
59th: LB Mike Green, Ravens (Rookies reported July 15)
61st: Trey Amos, Commanders (Rookie report date: July 18)
63rd: Omarr Norman-Lott, Chiefs (Rookie report date: July 21)
64th: Andrew Mukuba, Eagles (Rookie report date: July 22)
Signed second-round picks (6)
33rd (SIGNED): LB Carson Schwesinger, Browns (Rookie report date: July 18)
34th (SIGNED): WR Jayden Higgins, Texans (Rookie report date: July 22)
43rd (SIGNED): DT Alfred Collins, 49ers (Rookies reported July 15)
56th (SIGNED): OT Ozzy Trapilo, Bears (Rookie report date: July 19)
60th (SIGNED): RB RJ Harvey, Broncos (Rookies reported July 16)
62nd (SIGNED): Shemar Turner, Bears (Rookie report date: July 19)
So, what’s causing the second-round hold up? Former NFL agent Joel Corry answered this question last month, and it seems like a good time to go over it again. Essentially, the hold up has to do with contract guarantees. The Texans decided to make history with the contract they gave Jayden Higgins, and that decision threw a wrench into the entire second round.
- Texans make history with Jayden Higgins’ contract. Every player selected in the first round gets a fully guaranteed rookie contract, but that’s not the case with players taken in the second round. Well, it wasn’t until this year. When Higgins signed his deal on May 8, he became the first second-round pick in NFL history to get a fully guaranteed rookie deal, and he wasn’t even the first pick of the second round. He was the second pick of the round at 34th overall.
- Browns hand out the same deal. Higgins’ deal with the Texans put the Browns in a spot where they had to give a fully guaranteed contract to Carson Schwesinger, who was the first pick in the second round (33rd overall). The linebacker ended up getting a fully guaranteed deal, and in what was probably not a coincidence, he got it one day after Higgins officially signed his contract. In 2024, the first pick of the second round (Keon Coleman) only got 95.7% of his contract guaranteed, but Schwesinger got 100%.
- Tyler Shough has thrown a wrench into things. The Saints quarterback was taken with the 40th overall pick, and he also wants a fully guaranteed deal since he’s likely going to be the team’s starting quarterback this year. If Shough gets 100% in guarantees, then the players taken between 35th and 39th will almost certainly argue that they also deserve a fully guaranteed deal. For any player taken after Shough, they’re likely going to wait so they can see what kind of guarantees they can get. For instance, if Shough gets a fully guaranteed deal, the 41st player taken might ask for a deal that is 95% guaranteed and then things would trickle down from there.
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Once Shough signs, everyone selected around him will have a better idea of how much they can get in guaranteed money. This is actually a pretty interesting situation, and you can read Corry’s full take on it here.
The 49ers might have helped fix this logjam on Wednesday by getting Collins under contract. Collins was taken with the 43rd overall pick and now that he has signed his deal, that could pave the way for players taken behind him to get their deals done. Turner, who was taken by the Bears with the 62nd overall pick, followed suit by signing his deal Thursday.
The situation involving Judkins could also have an impact on things. He was selected with the 36th overall pick by the Browns, but after getting arrested over the weekend on a troubling domestic violence charge, he likely won’t be able to demand a fully guaranteed contract. He could even face a suspension.