Why Are Nearly Half of 2025 Draft Picks Still Holding Out as Signing Deadline Looms?
Contracts are getting signed faster than ever in the NFL rookie realm — remember when most players barely inked their deals by Independence Day? Those days seem ancient now. As of just a couple weeks post-draft, more than half of this year’s picks have already locked in their rookie contracts. Out of 257 players selected, 148 have agreed to terms, with teams like the Rams and Seahawks standing out as rare holdouts with none signed yet. What’s intriguing is how the second round is shaping up—players like Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger and Texans wideout Jayden Higgins have already scored fully guaranteed four-year deals, a first for second-round picks who typically don’t see that level of security. The nuances around guarantees and contract language still linger, but honestly, rookie signings rarely get bogged down in drama anymore—it’s mostly a matter of fine details. The business has sped up, and that’s a story worth watching as the off-season unfolds.
This year, less than two weeks after the draft ended, 58 percent of all picks had signed their rookie deals.That was the official number as of Friday. Of 257 selections, 148 had agreed to terms.Beyond the question of the amount of full guarantees that will hover over the first third or so of round two, there’s no reason for delay. Rookie contracts have few sticking points. The biggest issues, if any, are signing bonus payout, language for voiding guarantees, and guarantee offsets.Before 2011, few rookies signed their initial NFL contracts before the Fourth of July. Now, most are signed, sealed, and delivered before Memorial Day.One trend to watch will be round two. The first two picks — Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger and Texans receiver Jayden Higgins — secured fully-guaranteed four-year deals. They’re the first second-rounders to get every penny of their rookie deals guaranteed. The question becomes how far into the second round the trend will continue.
Only the Rams and Seahawks had signed none of their draft picks, as of Friday.Last year, each of the first eleven second-round picks received a partial guarantee in year four. The first twelve received full guarantees through year three.Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, the sixth overall pick, is the highest selection under contract. Six of 32 first-round picks have signed.
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