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The Buffalo Bills are already dealing with a major training camp headache with their start date quickly approaching
Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills focused heavily on the defensive side of the ball when building their 2025 NFL Draft class. Seven of their nine selections and each of their first five were defenders. This told the fans that they had heard their cries about needing the defense to improve in 2025.

One of their top defensive selections was DT TJ Sanders out of South Carolina. And with training camp quickly approaching, there is an unfortunate ongoing situation surrounding Sanders and his fellow second round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Could Bills second round pick TJ Sanders follow Chargers WR Tre Harris' lead and hold out till he signs his rookie contract?


Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One of the most underrated storylines from this offseason was the Houston Texans' decision to make WR Jayden Higgins the first ever second round pick to land a fully guaranteed contract. This choice led the Cleveland Browns to follow suit by doing the same thing with LB Carson Schwesinger. Up to this point, though, no one else in the NFL has joined the party, leaving every other second round pick, including Sanders for the Bills, unsigned ahead of training camp.

It's fairly clear at this point that the disconnect here is that second round picks believe they should also secure a fully guaranteed deal, now that the Texans have set the precedent. Just because one team does it, though, doesn't automatically make it where teams follow. For example, the Browns gave Deshaun Watson a fully guaranteed contract, which led many to believe that it would become the norm for starting quarterback contracts going forward. That hasn't been the case, though, so now we have to wait and see whether NFL teams bite the bullet and give in to the demands or if they dig their heels in and try to make the rookies be the ones to cave. 

The Los Angeles Chargers are already dealing with their second round pick holding out due to not having a contract. And while it would create a massive headache for the Bills, I wouldn't blame other second round picks from doing the same. Without a contract signed, it would be hard to expect these rookies to take the field and, in turn, risk their bodies in practice. Imagine one of these rookies taking the field and suffering an injury without a signed contract. It would make an already unfortunate situation downright heartbreaking, and we could potentially see an ugly element of the business side of the NFL come to the forefront. No one wants to see that happen, so let's just hope the Bills and Sanders are able to come to an agreement sooner rather than later. 

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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