Terry McLaurin's Contract and Dramas NFL Teams Want to Avoid in Training Camp

With NFL training camps opening up around the league, it should be time for teams to start focusing on their on-field preparation for the 2025 season. However, a few off-field situations still linger that could create substantial headaches if not addressed soon.

The Washington Commanders, for example, could face a big distraction involving star receiver Terry McLaurin if his contract situation isn't resolved.

"I've been pretty frustrated, I'm not gonna lie," he told reporters on Tuesday. "Everything that has transpired up to this point has been disappointing and frustrating."

McLaurin added that he's unsure whether he'll be at training camp when veterans are scheduled to report on July 22. He may consider holding out in pursuit of a new contract, and he's far from the only potential holdout heading into camp.

Here, we'll dive into the situations most likely to cause drama during training camp, how they could impact the 2025 season, and the easiest paths to resolution.

Terry McLaurin Contract Drama

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Terry McLaurin

McLaurin's frustration with his financial situation is unsurprising.

The 29-year-old is set to earn a modest base salary of $15.5 million in the final year of his current contract. He has little long-term security and is being undervalued in relation to the five consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns on his resume.

The fact that New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson just inked an extension worth $32.5 million annually probably doesn't have McLaurin any happier about his situation.

The two-time Pro Bowler has made it clear he isn't a lock to report when camp opens.

"I haven't decided that yet," McLaurin told reporters on Tuesday. ".... I just want to see how the rest of this week goes and take it day by day from there.”

McLaurin is a seasoned vet, and he could likely afford to miss part of camp and still be ready for the regular season. However, a lengthy holdout could lead to a slow start, as it did for Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase in 2024. A holdout that lasts into the regular season would be disastrous.

Even after Washington traded for Deebo Samuel, McLaurin remains Jayden Daniels' top target and the Commanders' biggest playmaker. With expectations for the quarterback and the team sky high entering 2025, it would behoove Washington to extend its receiver now.

An extension would be the quickest way to resolve things here. The Commanders have $21.6 million in available cap space and could afford to give McLaurin a fair market deal. If they're unwilling to do that, it's time for general manager Adam Peters to open up the trade lines.

Jauan Jennings' Contract Demands

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Jauan Jennings

McLaurin isn't the only noteworthy wide receiver hoping to land a lucrative extension before the start of the regular season. San Francisco 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings is hoping to parlay his 2024 breakout into a new situation.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday that the 28-year-old has asked the Niners for a new contract or a trade.

Bleacher Report's Alex Kay examined potential trade packages for Jennings shortly after Schefter's report broke.

While Jennings might not be as prolific a receiver as McLaurin, he was both effective and efficient last season.

With Brandon Aiyuk (torn ACL) sidelined for much of the season, the 2020 seventh-rounder emerged as one of Brock Purdy's more reliable targets—and, perhaps, one of the most impressive receivers in the league.

Jennings finished the 2024 season with 975 yards and six touchdowns on 77 catches, and he provided a passer rating of 101.5 when targeted. He is currently primed to build off of what he accomplished last season and possibly earn an even more prolific role.

The 49ers traded Deebo Samuel to the Commanders early in the offseason and are unlikely to have Aiyuk back for the start of the regular season. This would make Jennings, second-year receiver Ricky Pearsall and tight end George Kittle Purdy's top targets for Week 1.

If Jennings is unwilling to play without a new deal, though, it complicates things for San Francisco pretty significantly. After dealing with Aiyuk's 2024 holdout and eventually caving to his demands by overspending—he had just two 1,000-yard campaigns and secured an extension worth $30 million annually—the 49ers probably won't be eager to give Jennings a long-term extension after one good season.

A one-year extension and/or a substantial 2025 pay bump over the Tennessee product's $1.2 million base salary would make the most sense, with a trade serving as Plan B.

The 49ers would be better off keeping Jennings, but trading him would be more logical than giving him Aiyuk money after a strong-not-spectacular year.

T.J. Watt Contract and Trade Chatter

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T.J. Watt

The Pittsburgh Steelers don't tend to trade away franchise-caliber players, but that doesn't mean they won't listen to offers for star pass-rusher T.J. Watt.

The 30-year-old is entering a contract year, and recent buzz suggests Pittsburgh is at least interested in learning what it might get in return for him.

According to Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show, Pittsburgh has been "inquiring" about Watt's trade value.

"I'm sure that's due diligence there at this point, right?” Kaboly told 93.7 The Fan (h/t ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio).

While a trade is unlikely, an extension between Watt and the Steelers isn't guaranteed. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the two sides seem to be split on guarantees and contract structure.

"Most people I talk to around the league do expect him to be the highest-paid pass rusher when he does get paid," Fowler told Get Up (h/t Aaron Becker of Steelers Now). "That doesn't seem to be an issue. It's about the other details that they haven't been able to lock in on between the team and the player."

The issue for Pittsburgh is that Watt could hold out when the Steelers open camp on July 23. If he does, that could impact his preparation entering a pivotal season with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Even if Watt doesn't hold out, his contract situation could cause a distraction.

Traditionally, the Steelers don't negotiate after the start of the regular season. If Watt doesn't have a new deal in place by September 7, he could play this season knowing he'll have a chance to hit the open market in 2026. An extension and raise should be Pittsburgh's preferred option.

Watt is set to earn a base salary of just $21 million this season, and he deserves more. With $24.4 million in cap space available, the Steelers can afford to give it to him, and they should.

While Pittsburgh would undoubtedly get a strong return for Watt in a trade, that return probably wouldn't benefit the coming season. With the Steelers going all-in on a 2025 run with Rodgers, that might not be an avenue that makes sense.

Contract Standoffs with Trey Hendrickson, Shemar Stewart

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Trey Hendrickson

While Watt is unlikely to be a realistic trade target, teams seeking pass-rushing help may find a viable alternative in Cincinnati Bengals sack artist Trey Hendrickson.

Like Watt, the reigning NFL sack leader is entering a contract year. He's already asked for a new deal or a trade this offseason.

While the Bengals did grant Hendrickson permission to seek a trade, they never seemed to take trade offers seriously. They've also made little progress on a new deal with the 30-year-old.

"The Trey Hendrickson situation remains, I'd say, unpredictable," Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer wrote on Monday. "...it seems pretty unlikely he's going to be cutting the team any breaks."

While Hendrickson may not expect to top Myles Garrett's $40 million-per-year deal, he deserves a raise over the $21 million he's set to earn. The Bengals can't just assume the four-time Pro Bowler will show up when camp opens on July 22.

Hendrickson may not be the only pass-rusher who refuses to report to camp. Cincinnati still doesn't have first-round pick Shemar Stewart under contract because it wants to include language that would allow it to void future guarantees. That would represent a change to the structure of the Bengals' rookie contracts, and Stewart isn't willing to play ball.

"I think he's dug in on the language," Schefter told the Rothman & Ice podcast (h/t Chris Roling of Bengals Wire). "He doesn't want to be the first one and be made an example of."

The simple solution for Cincinnati, which has $32.6 million in cap space, is to stop being cheap, give Hendrickson a raise and offer Stewart what has been a standard rookie contract.

The Bengals were willing to pay receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase this offseason, and they have a prime opportunity to get back in the playoff mix this season. Making a deep playoff run without Hendrickson and/or Stewart would be difficult, though.

Trading Hendrickson could be an option and would make more sense than simply letting him hold out. The Bengals may only have one option with Stewart, and they should have gotten him signed weeks ago.

A Slew of 2nd-Round Holdouts

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Chargers WR Tre Harris

Stewart isn't the league's only unsigned rookie who could miss time in training camp.

The Los Angeles Chargers became the first team to open camp when rookies reported on Saturday. However, wide receiver Tre Harris wasn't among them.

The 23-yearold is one of 30 second-round draft picks who have yet to sign their rookie deals. The holdup, it would seem, relates to the inclusion of fully guaranteed contracts for the two who have signed.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, 33rd pick Carson Schwesinger and 34th pick Jayden Higgins both received fully guaranteed four-year deals:

There's a non-zero chance many second-round rookies—or, more specifically, their agents—will wait to see if 35th pick and Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori signs a fully guaranteed deal or breaks the trend started by Schwesinger and Higgins before they agree to terms.

However, the entire situation could be complicated by 36th pick and Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins.

Over the weekend, Judkins was arrested on a domestic violence and battery charge in Florida, according to ESPN's Schefter and Daniel Oyefusi. Theoretically, Cleveland could wait until it has more information regarding his situation before addressing his rookie contract. If the Browns believe he will face league discipline, they may not rush to give him a fully guaranteed deal, even if they were previously considering it.

And if Judkins' contract is the one to break the fully-guaranteed trend, agents will argue his deal is an aberration.

The entire fully guaranteed trend could have a significant impact on the 2025 season if it leads to one or more holdouts. The list of second-round picks who are expected to have significant rookie roles includes Harris, New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson, New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, Chicago Bears wideout Luther Burden III and Dallas Cowboys edge-rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku.

Naturally, teams would benefit from getting those rookies into camp and properly prepared for the 2025 season. Getting them under contact is imperative, even if it means giving out guaranteed deals in a draft range where they haven't existed before.

Owners might not like it, since they continue to resist the sort of guaranteed contracts that have become standard in other leagues. If they want to avoid training camp drama, though, they may have to admit that its time for the NFL to catch up and offer its incoming rookies some semblance of financial security.

*Cap and contract information via Spotrac.