Tag: Holdout

Cincinnati Bengals Trey Hendrickson speaks at a press conference after practice, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at Kettering Health Practice Fields in Downtown Cincinnati.

Reports: Bengals star Trey Hendrickson to end holdout Wednesday

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson plans to end his holdout and report to training camp on Wednesday, ESPN and NFL Network reported Tuesday.

The four-time Pro Bowl defensive end has been seeking a big contract extension. He is slated to make $15.8 million in base salary in 2025.

Hendrickson, 30, led the NFL in sacks last season with 17.5. He has 35 over the past two seasons and 57 in four seasons with the Bengals.

The two sides have been in a stalemate all offseason. In mid-May, Hendrickson told reporters he wouldn’t play this season unless he received a bump in pay.

Hendrickson apparently craves an increase in pay that will place him in the higher echelon of defensive players. Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt just landed the highest annual average salary ($41 million) in history for a defensive player.

Over the offseason, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett ($40 million AAV) and Los Angeles Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby ($35.5 million) also landed huge deals.

Hendrickson has been a Pro Bowl selection in all four of his seasons with Cincinnati. He played his first four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, serving as a backup for the first three campaigns.

Hendrickson has 77 sacks, 220 tackles and 14 forced fumbles in 110 games (81 starts).

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals Trey Hendrickson makes an appearance at practice, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at Kettering Health Practice Fields in Downtown Cincinnati.

Report: Bengals contact Trey Hendrickson, gain no traction toward deal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

NFL sacks leader Trey Hendrickson remains on the sideline with stalled contract talks with the Cincinnati Bengals pointing to a prolonged absence from the team.

The Athletic reported the Bengals reached out to Hendrickson on Monday but conversations were fruitless. The defensive end is expected to be absent from minicamp as he looks for a new deal or trade that would bring him the payday he desires.

Cincinnati did get rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart in the building in a relative sign of progress. But Stewart, a first-round pick, is unsigned and ESPN reported he won’t participate on the field this week without a contract.

With a base salary of $15.8 million, Hendrickson believes he’s underpaid relative to the market value of the top-paid players at his position. He has a salary cap hit of $18.6 million this season and led the league with 17.5 sacks in 2024. No player has more sacks combined over the past two seasons than Hendrickson (35).

Hendrickson, 30, hasn’t been with the team for a month — since he came to the facility on May 13 for a face-to-face meeting with head coach Zac Taylor. Taylor told Hendrickson at the time the Bengals would have no choice but to fine him if he didn’t come to mandatory minicamp and training camp in July.

“A little bit transpired between me and Zac,” Hendrickson said. “We’ve tried to keep it as least amount as personal as possible, but at some point, in this process, it becomes personal.”

Stewart, 21, is not planning to sign with the Bengals until they adjust the language in their contract offer to match the outline of the team’s previous two first-round selections, according to multiple reports.

–Field Level Media

Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) celebrates after winning Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs’ Travis Kelce pleads with Chris Jones to end holdout

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Travis Kelce admits he doesn’t fully understand defensive tackle Chris Jones’ decision to engage in a holdout. Kelce just wants his teammate back with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

“Chris, can you please come back?” the star tight end said on his New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce podcast. “You’re really scaring me, man. I don’t get it. You must know something that I don’t know because I just don’t get it. I really want to get another Super Bowl ring with you, brother. This is me bargaining you to just come back and play football for the Chiefs. Please, we need you. We need you bad, and I don’t know what the situation is.

“He’s just the best defensive player in the league right now. He’s deserving of all the money in the world. Chris, I love you. Please come back now.”

A four-time Pro Bowl selection and a 2022 first-team All-Pro, Jones has one season remaining on the four-year, $80 million contract he signed with the Chiefs in 2020. He’s scheduled to make a base salary of $19.5 million this season.

Jones, 29, recently threatened over social media to extend his holdout to as far as Week 8 if negotiations don’t improve. He currently is on the reserve/did not report list.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Friday he doesn’t take issue with Jones’ decision to stay away from the team.

“Chris has chosen to go this route,” Reid said. “Some other guys have chosen to get their deals done and come in and play. I’m not here to criticize one way or the other. We’ve had a lot of success with the guys that we have and we go with it.

“Other than that, I take the distractions and throw them out the door and let’s get on with what’s real.”

What’s real is the Chiefs open the season against the visiting Detroit Lions on Thursday.

Jones finished third in Defensive Player of the Year balloting last season after matching his career best of 15.5 sacks. The two-time Super Bowl champion has 65 sacks in 107 games (86 starts) over seven NFL seasons with the Chiefs.

–Field Level Media

January 1, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (28) scores a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Raiders RB Josh Jacobs agrees to deal, will end holdout

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Star running back Josh Jacobs is ending his holdout after agreeing to a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $12 million with the Las Vegas Raiders.

“I’m back,” Jacobs simply posted to social media Saturday morning.

The Raiders later confirmed his signing on social media but posted no details.

Jacobs has returned to Las Vegas after leaving town on July 24 after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a long-term contract by the deadline for franchise-tagged players.

He did not sign his $10.1 million franchise tender but now is in line for a raise. NFL Network reported he will earn $11.8 million in base salary, and incentives can push his earnings to $12 million.

Jacobs, 25, is the NFL reigning rushing champion. In 2022, he compiled 1,653 rushing yards on 340 touches (4.9 yards per attempt) and 12 touchdowns while starting all 17 games last season. He added 400 receiving yards to lead the league with 2,053 total yards from scrimmage. He was a first-team All-Pro and received his second Pro Bowl nod.

In 60 games (59 starts) since the Raiders selected him in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Alabama, Jacobs has rushed for 4,740 yards and 40 touchdowns.

The Raiders open the 2023 season on Sept. 10 on the road against the Denver Broncos. They conclude the preseason Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys.

–Field Level Media

Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) celebrates after winning Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs’ Chris Jones willing to hold out until Week 8

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones appears to have an established timetable as to when he plans to end his holdout and rejoin the team.

It’s Week 8.

That was Jones’ answer when he was asked on Twitter about his potential return to the team. His reasoning was because he “can afford it.”

Jones, 29, has been incurring daily fines of $50,000 since the start of training camp. He’ll also willingly forfeit his weekly game check, which is approximately $1.1 million.

A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Jones has one season remaining on the four-year, $80 million contract he signed with the Chiefs in 2020. He’s scheduled to make a base salary of $19.5 million this season and can earn $500,000 for a workout bonus and a $1.25 million incentive bonus if he records 10 sacks this season.

“There’s been no communication, so I don’t know what’s going to go there. Whatever happens, happens, and if he’s not there, the game goes on, right? That’s how it works,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said Wednesday.

Jones finished third in Defensive Player of the Year balloting last season after matching his career best of 15.5 sacks. The two-time Super Bowl champion has 65 sacks in 107 games (86 starts) over seven NFL seasons with the Chiefs.

–Field Level Media

January 1, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (28) scores a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Raiders RB Josh Jacobs ending holdout soon

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Raiders running back Josh Jacobs is nearing the end of his holdout, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

The reigning NFL rushing champion is expected to report before the Sept. 10 opener at Denver, but the exact timing of his return is unclear.

Jacobs, 25, has been away from the team this offseason while seeking a long-term contract.

He has not signed the franchise tag tender that would pay him $10.091 million for the 2023 season.

Head coach Josh McDaniels told reporters Sunday that he hopes Jacobs will get some practice time in before Week 1.

“I think that it’s important for every player,” McDaniels said. “This is the National Football League, so it’s not easy to go out there and just play games and do it at the speed and level that you want to do it at, unless you’ve really kind of had enough opportunity to get yourself ready to do that.”

Jacobs compiled a league-high 1,653 rushing yards on 340 touches (4.9 yards per attempt) and 12 touchdowns while starting all 17 games last season. He added 400 receiving yards to lead the league with 2,053 total yards from scrimmage. He was a first-team All-Pro and received his second Pro Bowl nod.

In 60 games (59 starts) since the Raiders selected him in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Alabama, Jacobs has rushed for 4,740 yards and 40 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Oct 16, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Terence Steele (78) and guard Zack Martin (70) in the tunnel against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Cowboys G Zack Martin reaches deal, ends holdout

Posted on | by Field Level Media

All-Pro guard Zack Martin ended his holdout Monday after reaching a new deal with the Dallas Cowboys, according to multiple reports.

The reworked contract will pay him more than $18 million in each of the next two years, fully guaranteed, per the reports.

That’s an extra $8.5 million for Martin, who had been slated to earn $13.5 million in 2023 and $14 million in 2024.

Martin, 32, has been a holdout for training camp in Oxnard, Calif., while seeking additional compensation.

The six-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection is going into his 10th season with the Cowboys, who drafted him in the first round (16th overall) in 2014.

Martin has started 137 regular season games and eight postseason games for Dallas.

–Field Level Media

Jan 29, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) during warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

GM: Nick Bosa holdout ‘no concern’ for 49ers

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San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch sees no reason to sweat Nick Bosa’s decision to stay away from training camp.

Bosa plans to keep his distance from San Francisco until the business of a long-term contract extension is addressed.

“I don’t like not having one of our best players here,” Lynch said Monday. “We’ve got a really good track record that I’m proud of as a group of having our players in, but I also understand it. And understand that we’re going to have to exhibit some patience and understand that ultimately this thing will work out.”

Bosa was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 with a league-leading 18.5 sacks. He was third in quarterback pressures with 58.

He’s entering the final year of his contract and has been a dominant force for the 49ers’ front since 2019. He reported for mandatory minicamp but otherwise has trained away from the team in Florida while waiting for a new deal.

But Bosa said there was no insistence from his side to the team that a contract extension must make him the highest-paid player — or defensive player — in the NFL. Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald makes more than $31 million per year.

Lynch said the 49ers will withhold fining Bosa, which is permitted by his contract with the team, establishing the two sides are chasing the same end goal.

Even with a new defensive coordinator, linebacker Fred Warner believes Bosa will be there when it matters. He said defensive teammates know there is not a reason to fret over Bosa’s conditioning.

Lynch agreed Bosa will always look great in the mirror, but believes there will be a point when the team needs to strongly encourage him to rejoin the locker room.

“I think that’s important to not only give yourself the best chance to not only play at the highest level but to stay healthy,” Lynch said.

–Field Level Media

Oct 30, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) and guard Zack Martin (70) celebrates a touchdown scored by running back Tony Pollard (not pictured) during the second half against the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys OG Zack Martin no-show for training camp

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Zack Martin was absent for the first day of Dallas Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, Calif., on Tuesday and is expected to dig in while waiting for his contract to be addressed.

Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday that he was “not going to discuss anything” about contract matters while speaking at his annual camp kickoff press conference. The first practice of camp is Wednesday, and players are not required to travel on the team charter to California.

Jones said, “I think we’ve got a chance to be a contender,” when asked about the Cowboys’ expectations.

But Martin is an essential piece of the puzzle on offense, a six-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection in nine years with the team.

If Martin holds out, the Cowboys could be looking at unproven options at right guard: rookie fifth-round pick Asim Richards or 2021 seventh-rounder Matt Farniok.

Martin, 32, signed a six-year, $84 million extension in 2018, making him the league’s top-paid guard at the time.

Entering camp this week, his standing is significantly lower.

Atlanta Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom ($20.5 million) and Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson ($20 million) are the top-paid players at the position based on average annual salary. Martin’s $14 million per-year average is ninth among guards.

Martin was the No. 16 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Martin can be fined under NFL rules and would potentially forfeit more than $900,000 if he skips camp entirely. Often as contract disagreements are settled, such attendance-related fines are waived or negotiated out of the final salary figure.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz (63) and guard Zack Martin (70) double team Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne (94) during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Not aboard: Cowboys OG Zack Martin misses team charter to training camp

Posted on | by Field Level Media

As roll call waits one more day in Oxnard, Calif., all signs point to guard Zack Martin being absent as the Dallas Cowboys kick off training camp on Tuesday.

The Cowboys team charter from Dallas left Monday afternoon without Martin, who reportedly asked the team to address his contract. Players are not required to take the team charter flight and can instead arrange their own transportation to report on time Tuesday for the official start of camp.

Martin, 32, signed a six-year, $84 million extension in 2018, making him the league’s top-paid guard at the time.

Entering camp this week, his standing is significantly lower.

Atlanta Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom ($20.5 million) and Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson ($20M) are the top-paid players at the position based on average annual salary. Martin’s $14 million per-year average is ninth among guards.

The six-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection was the No. 16 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Martin can be fined under NFL rules and would potentially forfeit more than $900,000 if he skips camp entirely. Often as contract disagreements are settled, such attendance-related fines are waived or negotiated out of the final salary figure.

–Field Level Media