The NFL has hit a logjam and is collectively lagging far behind where it normally is at this point in the offseason. Two years ago, the league hit its last 30 unsigned players before July. Last year, teams were signing rookies as quickly as they were drafting them, and only 10 players remained unsigned by June 17. A couple intriguing situations have caused pens to go quiet in 2025, and as a result, here are the 33 remaining unsigned rookies of the 2025 NFL Draft:
Round 1:
- No. 17 (Bengals): Shemar Stewart (DE, Texas A&M)
- No. 20 (Broncos): Jahdae Barron (CB, Texas)
Round 2:
- No. 35 (Seahawks): Nick Emmanwori (S, South Carolina)
- No. 36 (Browns): Quinshon Judkins (RB, Ohio State)
- No. 37 (Dolphins): Jonah Savaiinaea (G, Arizona)
- No. 38 (Patriots): TreVeyon Henderson (RB, Ohio State)
- No. 39 (Bears): Luther Burden (WR, Missouri)
- No. 40 (Saints): Tyler Shough (QB, Louisville)
- No. 41 (Bills): T.J. Sanders (DT, South Carolina)
- No. 42 (Jets): Mason Taylor (TE, LSU)
- No. 43 (49ers): Alfred Collins (DT, Texas)
- No. 44 (Cowboys): Donovan Ezeiruaku (DE, Boston College)
- No. 45 (Colts): JT Tuimoloau (DE, Ohio State)
- No. 46 (Rams): Terrance Ferguson (TE, Oregon)
- No. 47 (Cardinals): Will Johnson (CB, Michigan)
- No. 48 (Texans): Aireontae Ersery (T, Minnesota)
- No. 49 (Bengals): Demetrius Knight (LB, South Carolina)
- No. 50 (Seahawks): Elijah Arroyo (TE, Miami)
- No. 51 (Panthers): Nic Scourton (OLB, Texas A&M)
- No. 52 (Titans): Oluwafemi Oladejo (OLB, UCLA)
- No. 53 (Buccaneers): Benjamin Morrison (CB, Notre Dame)
- No. 54 (Packers): Anthony Belton, T (NC State)
- No. 55 (Chargers): Tre Harris (WR, Ole Miss)
- No. 56 (Bears): Ozzy Trapilo (T, Boston College)
- No. 57 (Lions): Tate Ratledge (G, Georgia)
- No. 58 (Raiders): Jack Bech (WR, TCU)
- No. 59 (Ravens): Mike Green (OLB, Marshall)
- No. 60 (Broncos): RJ Harvey (RB, Central Florida)
- No. 61 (Commanders): Trey Amos (CB, Ole Miss)
- No. 62 (Bears): Shemar Turner (DT, Texas A&M)
- No. 63 (Chiefs): Omarr Norman-Lott (DT, Tennessee)
- No. 64 (Eagles): Andrew Mukuba (S, Texas)
Round 4:
- No. 107 (Jaguars): Jack Kiser (LB, Notre Dame)
In recent years, a trend has seen second-rounders lasting the longest, but what we’re seeing this year is unheard of. As rookies have been getting a bit of flexibility in negotiating structures of guarantees, getting deals done has become a waiting game of seeing what surrounding picks are getting for comparison. Last year, teams breezed through the issue, but 2025 has seen significantly increased troubles.
Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins set the tone by signing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, the first ever for a second-round selection. The next day, the Browns were essentially forced to do the same for Carson Schwesinger, picked one slot before Higgins. Shough, the Saints rookie quarterback, is seeking the same deal, hoping that his elevated status as a passer will help convince New Orleans to continue making history. Shough’s efforts have caused every pick between him and Higgins to stand pat, waiting to see if they get to ask for full guarantees from their teams, as well. This would be a drastic development, as last year’s 40th overall pick, Cooper DeJean, received only two fully guaranteed years with only partial guarantees in Year 3.
The biggest story outside of the second round is that of the standoff between Stewart and the Bengals. Stewart has issues with what he perceives as a lack of protection in Cincinnati’s offer that causes a contract default in any year to void any guarantees in all the following years. It’s a new precedent the team is trying to set, and Stewart seems intent on preventing them from doing so.
It will be interesting to see which standoff gets settled first: Stewart’s or Shough’s. The latter standoff ending would likely set off a domino reaction of second-round deals that would help a large number of teams close out their rookie classes. To this point, only four NFL teams have done so.
Bad for the NFL. Get these players signed and on the field to learn. The regular season starts in 7 weeks.
Nope, I love it. Poor negotiating and cheap teams will start the season behind. Behind from a fresh talent perspective, behind in team chemistry and behind in locker room unity. Good. My team signed all of its picks weeks ago.
So every team besides the worst 2 are cheap?
As much money as the NFL and their owners make…this is embarrassing. Sign your players already
I think the owners main concern is the domino effect that could result if they give into these rookies getting fully guaranteed contracts. Once that genie is out of the bottle there’s no putting it back in.
Higgins got 11.7 million over four years. The Broncos paid 70 million for Russell Wilson to not play for them for one year. What are you even talking about Lemon?
There has been a gap in guarantees for rookies outside the first round, and this gap has been mercilessly exploited by the owners for a very long time. The closing of that gap ends the fantasy that teams tell themselves that you’re drafted by them in the 2nd round, they aren’t sure you’re going to contribute. Which is asinine when you compare the resources and manpower spent specifically on getting the draft correct for your franchise.
In a salary cap league, when you cannot just overpay for talent everywhere, the draft picks you have are instrumental to supplementing the talent you lose when your players reach free agency and price themselves outside your salary capped abilities to retain them. Pretending a SECOND ROUND draft pick isn’t expected to immediately contribute and then using that to justify not paying them is the definition of mental gymnastics.
Higgins and Wilson are rookies? I should be asking what you’re talking about 🙂
so if one team decides to shoot themselves in the foot, then the remaining 31 teams have to also take a shot to the foot. Secretly a brilliant move by the Texans
I guess, but at the same time as much money as the league makes they can easily guarantee contracts for players they deem worthy to pick in the 2nd round.
It’s about salary cap, not revenue. Many drafted players don’t pan out. NFL says why guarantee their contracts for 5 years?
Look at you. Sticking up for billionaires. I doubt they need your or my support. LOL
I bet you wish you were a billionaire but somewhere along the way in your family chain they failed and you guys have lived in poverty for years I saw your grandpa could barely afford this medicine. Your dad goes from job to job now you
Because drafted players are laughably underpaid as a collective for what they provide on their rookie deals. The least NFL teams can do for getting a massive bargain on stars for 4+ years is guarantee the contracts for the entire four seasons, especially since this is only about the top 40 picks. They will all be on their team in 2 or 3 seasons anyway, so these loser owners are literally negotiating for 1 or 2% of the cap and .0001% of their teams value. It’s not ‘good business’ it’s simply billionaires using their power and being a$$holes because they can.
It’s not like the multibillionaire league couldn’t afford it. Hopefully this will start ruffling feathers with the nflpa when it’s time to renegotiate collective bargaining
Not really. Because guaranteed money going to a player who sucks and would get cut, doesn’t go to veterans on their 2nd contract. Some of you spouting the billionaire thing clearly don’t know what a salary cap is or understand how it works.
You’re right. Cap is a HUGE factor in this. That’s a cap hit for X number of years if they don’t pan out. Also if you’re a rookie who balls out you will get a guaranteed contract at some point. You’ve proven that you can play in CFB and get drafted. That’s it. There’s nothing more you’ve proven.
People who only hate the rich and want everyone paid more just puts the country into more debt. The owners will stay making more $ or the business will fold just like every other business.
Agree. Don’t worry about billionairres, worry about what you’re doing. There’s plenty of money to be made in the US.
Yeah but just because you can afford it has nothing to do with it. The league and owners are where they are right now because they get ROIs. That’s what it boils down too. You have no idea what an ROI is on a rookie 2nd round pick. A 1st rounder gets some ROI due to exposure and jersey/merchandise sales. Ultimately what’s the alternative for these unsigned players? CFL? IFL? UFL? Nope. The owners know that too. The players will eventually sign because there is nothing close to NFL pay days. There’s no competitors
If you want to lessen the burden of guaranteed contracts they can, I don’t know, be better at their job. You drafted them, they already think they are good. Not putting the guarantee in is only saying “well im not sure in my evaluation”.
I agree with points on the salary cap. Its very rarely about an owner saving money. They all have to get up to a floor and are capped. Most spend exactly the same in football. The issue is teams with bad evaluators want to get out of their mistakes.
Drafting players isn’t an exact science. Until they play in the NFL, you don’t know how good they will be. QBs are the easiest example. Imagine being stuck with Anthony Richardson’s or Will Levis’ guaranteed contracts for 5 years. Imagine a veteran player not getting what they deserve because a cut player is still getting paid.
Sure it isn’t. I 100% am sure the veteran player will get paid if they are good. The only vets at risk are the ones at the end of the bench.
Honestly these players are just like the young people of this society now a days. Guarantee everything up front so I dont have to prove myself before I earn it. I dont succeed oh well I got Guaranteed money. I dont have to work hard and can accept failure along with letting people down.
At what point does the previous generation, who raised the ‘young people in society’, take the blame for the youth they parented and raised…?
Does it make sense to blame a rooster for laying an egg?
No but it does make sense to blame the rooster when they let the egg rot and exploit the offspring’s future for their advantages…
Roosters don’t lay eggs…hens do 🥚
It goes beyond that, when does the previous generation admit that their greed screwed everything up and things are harder for the next generations. We all have one goshdarn job and it’s to leave the world better than we found it, unfortunately nobody in power for the last 40 years nearly all of which have been boomers and older have believed in that concept.
The people in charge now care. Or at least are attempting to better the current state of life in at least the USA.
Setting the stage for when 1/3 of these guys refuse to play in year 4 and attempt a hold out.
Why not have predetermined contracts for each pick in each round? No BS with language and everyone is at camp on time.