NFL Stars on the Brink: Contractual Situation Puts Key Figures at Risk
With less than a month until the start of the NFL regular season, uncertainty reigns for several stars in the league. Contract negotiations have reached a critical point, with key players still not participating in training due to financial disagreements. The start of training camps has intensified these negotiations. Players have the option of skipping camp (holdout) until their financial matters are resolved, or showing up (hold-in) to avoid fines, but without participating in training while waiting for a new contract. Alofoke Deportes keeps you informed of the most relevant situations, with updates from our correspondents on each team. In the list of stars currently not training are Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson; Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward; Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin; and Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons. Bills running back James Cook, previously in a hold-in, returned to training on Tuesday before agreeing to a four-year extension on Wednesday. Who will be next to resolve their contractual dispute? Will any of these four players miss games at the start of the season? Let’s analyze each situation.Trey Hendrickson, Defensive End, Cincinnati Bengals
Situation: Hold-in after a holdout, requesting an exchange.Update (August 13): Hendrickson is seeking a long-term contract as he enters the final year of his current deal. The four-time Pro Bowl selection and current All-Pro has a salary of $16 million this season. He recently received a slight raise in 2022 that added an additional year to the four-year contract he signed with the Bengals in 2021 as a free agent from the Saints. Hendrickson began training camp as a holdout before transitioning to a hold-in on July 30. He has maintained that he has no intention of playing without a new contract. The Bengals have attempted to give him a raise to the current NFL sack leader. Currently, the difference appears to be in the guaranteed money, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. A source close to the negotiations said that both sides have been in talks since Hendrickson reported to training camp. However, there has been little progress as the 30-year-old player prepares for his ninth NFL season.Cameron Heyward, DT, Pittsburgh SteelersSituation: Hold-inUpdate (August 13): Heyward, 36, is looking to restructure a contract extension signed a year ago. Although he didn’t give details on what he wants in the negotiations, Heyward hinted that he would like to move some of next year’s roster bonus to this year’s compensation to match what he believes is his market value after an All-Pro year. Heyward’s total compensation this season is $14.75 million, including a guaranteed roster bonus of $13.45 million and a base salary of $1.3 million. His roster bonus next season is $12.95 million if he remains on the roster for the fifth day of the new league year. Heyward said he first approached the team about a restructuring in February, but began a hold-in last week in part due to the status of negotiations. He insisted that he is willing to miss games if the contract issue remains unresolved. Another situation to consider is that of Chris Boswell. The Steelers kicker hasn’t spoken publicly at this training camp, but a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Boswell is seeking a new contract after an All-Pro season. Although he signed a four-year, $20 million contract in 2022 that tied him with Justin Tucker as the league’s highest-paid kickers, the market has since been reset. It would be almost unprecedented for the Steelers to renegotiate Boswell’s contract with two years remaining on his current deal.Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
Situation: Hold-in, requesting an exchange.Update (August 13): McLaurin and the Commanders remain stalled in negotiations for a contract extension. He has one year left on a three-year extension he signed in 2022. He missed the first four days of camp before reporting on July 27 and was placed on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury. McLaurin twisted his ankle at the end of the season, but participated fully in preseason workouts until voluntary OTA practices began. Both sides have remained firm in their positions. For Washington, the fact that McLaurin turns 31 when an extension begins has been a key factor. But he was drafted in the same 2019 class as DK Metcalf and has been equally productive. After being traded to the Steelers this offseason, Metcalf signed a contract worth $33 million per year with $60 million guaranteed. That deal has served as a guide for McLaurin’s demands. McLaurin hasn’t said whether he would be willing to miss any games in the regular season.Micah Parsons, Defensive End, Dallas Cowboys
Situation: Hold-in, requesting an exchange.Update (August 13): Parsons and the Cowboys don’t seem to be any closer to an extension than at the start of camp. Since then, he has made a trade request, but owner and general manager Jerry Jones said there would be no trade. At the start of camp, Parsons said he was dealing with a back strain, and last week he was receiving treatment. It was noticeable when he didn’t wear his practice jersey after making the trade request. That’s the biggest indicator you can get in these hold-in situations. There have been no substantive discussions from either side, and it appears the Cowboys are at least willing to start the season with Parsons playing on the fifth-year option. After that? There’s always the possibility of using the franchise tag on Parsons in 2026.
