Minicamp holdout panic meter for T.J. Watt and Terry McLaurin: How worried should Steelers and Commanders be?

The thing about mandatory minicamp is that, well, it’s mandatory. If a player doesn’t show up, not only are they subject to fines of over $100,000 in total, but it also sends shockwaves across the NFL and signals that the two parties involved (the player and the team) are at serious odds. For the most part, absences from minicamp largely center around contract disputes, which is exactly what is unfolding this year. 

Terry McLaurin of the Washington Commanders, T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals have all decided to skip mandatory minicamp as each of these stars seeks a new contract, according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. Of course, all three of these players are key pillars to their respective organizations, and if any of these situations were to devolve to the point of no return and result in a trade, it’d have drastic ramifications for the outlook of the 2025 season. 

How drastic, however, is what we’ll be dissecting here. 

Below, we’re going to break down the panic meter, dive into all three of these minicamp holdouts, and determine how dire each situation is, ranging from low, medium and high. 

Cincinnati Bengals: Trey Hendrickson

Panic level: High🚨🚨🚨

Of these holdouts, this feels like the most venomous. While the Bengals spent the offseason securing key pieces of the offense like Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and even Mike Gesicki to long-term extensions, Trey Hendrickson is still without a deal. The star pass rusher — who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks last season — is entering the final year of his current contract and has been public in his desire to ink a new deal before the 2025 campaign. However, no such deal has come across the table. In fact, Hendrickson himself noted earlier this offseason that the situation has become “personal” and contract talks have been at a standstill. 

“Rather than using collaboration to … bring me home to the team, they are no longer communicating,” Hendrickson told ESPN last month about his dialogue with the team. “I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that’s hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals.”

A recent report from The Athletic indicated that the Bengals had reached out to Hendrickson’s camp on Monday, but there was no movement towards a new deal. 

Cincinnati did allow Hendrickson permission to seek a trade back in March, but no deal has come to the forefront. While these two sides have endured heated contract talks in the past and have reunited, it doesn’t feel like we’re heading towards that outcome this time around. 

Pittsburgh Steelers: T.J. Watt

Panic level: Medium🚨🚨

Watt is entering the final year of his four-year, $112 million deal he signed with the Steelers back in 2021. At the time, that contract made him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. Fast-forward to the present day, however, and Watt no longer holds that title. From an average annual salary standpoint, Watt’s $28 million AAV has him as the ninth-highest-paid defensive player in the league. Six of the players ahead of him are being paid at least $30 million per season, including Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett, who tops the list at $40 million annually. 

Even if Watt isn’t looking to top Garett and reclaim his title as the richest defensive player in the NFL, he’d almost certainly want to get in the $35 million-per-year range like Danielle Hunter and Maxx Crosby have done with their extensions this offseason. Since Watt signed his current deal, the 30-year-old has been named to the Pro Bowl four times, been an All-Pro three times (two first-team nods), and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. Watt also has finished in the top four in DPOY voting in each of the last two seasons, giving him a strong case to see another lucrative deal. 

Moreover, the Steelers do seem to have painted themselves in a bit of a corner. By signing 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers to be their starting quarterback, Pittsburgh is signaling that the organization is all-in on the here and now. So, they are in no position to rid themselves of a player of Watt’s caliber. Meanwhile, had Pittsburgh gotten this extension done sooner, it would’ve likely been at a cheaper number, and if more pass rushers (like Hendrickson and/or Micah Parsons in Dallas) ink lucrative deals before Watt, his price will only increase and further complicate the matter. 

Washington Commanders: Terry McLaurin

Panic level: Low🚨

This might be the most head-scratching holdout of the bunch. McLaurin has been one of the faces of the Commanders organization through some trying times and has been a highly productive player despite lackluster play at quarterback. When McLaurin and the Commanders finally secured an elite, young quarterback in Jayden Daniels, the veteran wideout put together arguably the best season of his career. His 13 touchdowns and 70.1% catch rate were the highest of his career, and he was a key cog in Washington reaching the NFC Championship in 2024. So, why are the Commanders fussing around with the contract, especially when they have the cap space and a quarterback playing on his rookie deal?

It’s worth pointing out that McLaurin also skipped OTAs and minicamp during the 2022 offseason before signing his three-year, $71 million contract extension, so there is precedent for this situation and everyone landing on their feet. 

The wide receiver market has ballooned to where the elite pass catchers — like McLaurin — are in the $30 million-per-year range, with Ja’Marr Chase at the top of the list with a $40.25 million in AAV. McLaurin, while older, could be looking at a deal similar to DK Metcalf, who inked an extension with the Steelers this offseason that pays him about $33 million annually. That’s a hefty price, but the Commanders have broken open into a Super Bowl window with Daniels, and they’d be wise to pay his go-to target. 

Go to Source
Author: Tyler Sullivan
June 10, 2025 | 11:50 am