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2025 NFL holdout, hold-in updates: Parsons, Hendrickson, more

NFL, Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals

The NFL regular season is less than a month away, but there are a handful of stars still not practicing because of their contract situations.

The start of training camps brought these negotiations to a head. Players can hold out and stay away from camp until their financial situations are addressed, or they can hold in, where they report to camp to avoid fines but skip practice while waiting for a new contract. We're tracking all the important holdouts and hold-ins across the league, with updates from our NFL Nation writers on each situation.

Currently, the list of stars not practicing includes Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin and Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons. Bills running back James Cook was previously holding in but returned to practice Aug. 12 before agreeing to a four-year extension the following day.

Which player will be next in resolving their contract dispute? Are any of these four willing to miss games once the season begins? Let's take a look at each situation.

Jump to:
Hendrickson | Heyward | McLaurin | Parsons

Micah Parsons, Edge, Dallas Cowboys

Status: Holding in, requesting trade

Aug. 19 update: The Cowboys are back at The Star for practices this week after nearly a month in Oxnard, California, but coach Brian Schottenheimer does not expect anything to change regarding Parsons' status. In other words, Parsons will continue to not practice while attending meetings and taking part in walkthroughs.

Last year, the Cowboys got their deal done with Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb after returning to Texas. That doesn't appear to be the case with Parsons. To date, there have been no negotiations on a deal, and owner and general manager Jerry Jones has said they will not trade their Pro Bowl edge rusher.

At this point the question becomes: How effective could Parsons be in Week 1 versus the Eagles with no practice if he is actually on the game-day roster? -- Todd Archer, Cowboys reporter

  • Barnwell: Cowboys negotiating tactics cost them close to $100 million

  • Archer: What Cowboys' pass rush looks like without Parsons


Trey Hendrickson, Edge, Cincinnati Bengals

Status: Holding in after holding out, requesting trade

Aug. 19 update: Hendrickson has no intentions of suiting up for the Bengals on his current deal. His contract -- he's set to make $16 million in cash -- is set to expire at the end of this season.

Ahead of the team's second preseason game against the Commanders, Hendrickson told ESPN's Laura Rutledge that he and the Bengals are in agreement on the total value of a contract extension and the length of that deal. But the sticking point remains the guaranteed money. Hendrickson, 30, is looking for guaranteed money after the first year. Cincinnati, as is its custom, has not offered that so far. Only quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase were able to break Cincinnati's reluctance in providing guaranteed money after the first season of a veteran contract.

At the beginning of the offseason, the Bengals granted Hendrickson the ability to seek a club that was willing to acquire the All-Pro edge rusher in a trade, but so far, nothing has materialized. -- Ben Baby, Bengals reporter


Cameron Heyward, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers

Status: Holding in

Aug. 13 update: Heyward, 36, is seeking to restructure a contract extension signed a year ago. Though he wouldn't give specifics about what he wants in negotiations, Heyward hinted that he would like to move some of next year's roster bonus to this year's compensation in order 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 $13.45 million guaranteed roster bonus and $1.3 million base salary. His roster bonus next season is $12.95 million if he remains on the roster by the fifth day of the new league year. Heyward said he first approached the team about a restructure in February but started a hold-in last week in part because of the state of negotiations. He hinted that he's willing to miss games if the contract issue remains unresolved.

Another situation to keep an eye on is with Chris Boswell. The Steelers kicker hasn't spoken publicly this training camp, but a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Boswell is seeking a new contract after an All-Pro season. Though he signed a four-year, $20 million deal in 2022 that tied him with Justin Tucker as the league's highest-paid kickers, the market has since been reset. It would be nearly unprecedented for the Steelers to renegotiate Boswell's contract with two years left on his current deal. -- Brooke Pryor, Steelers reporter


Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders

Status: Holding in, requesting trade

Aug. 13 update: McLaurin and the Commanders remain at a stalemate with negotiations for a contract extension. He has one year remaining 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 did tweak his ankle late in the season, but he fully participated in offseason workouts until voluntary OTA practices began.

Both sides have remained firm in their stances. For Washington, the fact that McLaurin will turn 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 getting 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 has not said if he'd be willing to miss any games in the regular season. -- John Keim, Commanders reporter

  • Keim: Why Commanders, McLaurin are at an impasse

  • Barnwell: Making sense of the McLaurin trade request

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