What happens if an NFL rookie doesn't sign his contract?

With rookies beginning to report to training camps, many remain unsigned. What happens if they don't?

Per Spotrac, 30 of the 32 players selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft have yet to sign their rookie contracts. Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger and Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins signed fully guaranteed contracts this offseason. Other teams are refusing to give their second-rounders the same, triggering the league-wide standoff.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati Bengals edge-rusher Shemar Stewart — pick No. 17 of the 2025 draft — has yet to sign his rookie contract because of a dispute over the deal's language. 

If a rookie hasn't signed with his team by Aug. 5, he cannot be traded until the 2026 draft, scheduled for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. Should they still not sign after this date, these rookies could hold out of the 2025 season and re-enter the draft in 2026.

Teams usually sign their rookies, even if there's a holdup before the start of the season. But there have been players who have re-entered the draft after refusing to sign their deals. 

The most famous example, of course, is Bo Jackson.

The former Auburn Tigers running back didn't reach an agreement with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even though they took him with pick No. 1 in the 1986 draft. The two-sport star was ruled ineligible to play his final season of college baseball after a pre-draft visit with Tampa Bay. He felt the Buccaneers did this to ruin his baseball career, souring his relationship with the franchise. 

The following year, the then-Los Angeles Raiders grabbed Jackson in the seventh round. He would split time on the gridiron and diamond from 1987-90, making one Pro Bowl with the Raiders and one MLB All-Star Game with the Kansas City Royals during this span.

Former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Craig Erickson, a fifth-round pick in the 1991 draft, never signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. In the 1992 draft, the Buccaneers selected him in the fourth round. 

Missing a season, however, would be risky for Stewart and the second-round picks. It would create rust, which would hurt their draft stocks and trade values. 

In Stewart's case, the Bengals should reach a compromise with the pass-rusher. The then-San Diego Chargers did something similar with former edge-rusher Joey Bosa in August 2016 after bickering over offset language in his rookie contract. 

Whether teams will cave and give their second-rounders fully guaranteed deals remains uncertain. Regardless, they'd better find a solution soon, especially with the season just weeks away. 

The Hall of Fame Game is on July 31, the first full week of preseason starts Aug. 7 and the regular season kicks off on Sept. 4.