These stars are missing in the NFL teams Minicamp

The offseason of the NFL tends to end. This week, the mandatory minimps of the teams are pending, then it goes on vacation before training camp starts in mid/end of July. But a few well -known players are currently on strike. Sport.de explains the background.

While the vast majority of the offseason trainees in the NFL are on a voluntary basis and veterans in particular stay away, it is firmly anchored in the collective bargaining program between the NFLPA playing union and the league that participation in the Minicamp in June is mandatory. Anyone who stays away is asked to checkout.

And we don’t talk about one fell swoop, but quite sensitive sums.

Veterans pay the proud sum of almost $ 105,000 for a fully missed minicamp!

NFL: Penal catalog for missing the Minicamp

This year there are four well -known veterans who demonstratively stay away from the Minicamp. In addition, a rookie stands out that is there but not trained. In all of these cases, it is worth taking a look at the exact circumstances and the situations that have led to it. And you have to ask the question of how things go for the respective player and his team.

Video: Rodgers can easily be found at Steelers debut

NFL: These players miss the Minicamp

TJ Watt – Edge Rusher, Pittsburgh Steelers

Probably the greatest star of the Pittsburgh Steelers – that is still after the arrival of Aaron Rodgers – TJ Watt, remained away from the Steelers mini -camp. However, this was by no means surprising. The fact that he goes into his last contract year and the $ 21.05 million he is not guaranteed gave the impression that Watt would not take part in the Steelers offseason program without a new contract.

There were no big announcements and no real drama in this matter. Watt only posted a picture on Instagram on which he makes a “Peace” sign. The general speculation was that he wanted to say “Peace Out” what is a popular farewell greeting.

To make matters worse, the Steelers in the past few months were added that several Edge-rush colleagues were paid for elsewhere and that the current content of watts almost even surpassed. Maxx Crosby now earns an average of $ 35.5 million and Myles Garrett from the Steelers division rival, Cleveland Browns, powdered this with a new average salary of $ 40 million.

Even if Watt should not insist on becoming the highly paid Edge Rusher of the NFL – and there are no signs – it should be clear that he wants to move closer to the top earners in order to return to the Steelers. Not too long ago, Nick Bosa (49ers) was still on average at the front with $ 34 million, since then he was surpassed in addition to Crosby and Garrett, but also by Danielle Hunter (35.6 million). A total of six players have higher average salaries than watts (around 28 million), which should be difficult to accept as an elite-edge-rusher in view of its status.

For the Steelers, however, the fact that Watt will be 31 years old in October. And as a rule, it is no longer necessarily far uphill at this age. Watt in 2024 it brought it to a good 11.5 sacks, but according to “PFF”, its only 57 pressures were only good for 21st rank on the NFL – leader (rookie) Jared Verse from the Rams 89.

Accordingly, we have a tricky situation here, which can not be solved too soon. In the end, watts will probably also sit out large parts of the training camp in order to continue to put pressure on. The Steelers also have the problem that they should actually be all-in after the Rodgers obligation, so it also needs the most important pass rusher. Accordingly, in the end you will probably agree on a rather short -term contract with a much guaranteed salary in order to tackle this with the best as possible, at least in your view.

Terry McLaurin – Wide Receiver, Washington Commanders

Terry McLaurin is one of the best wide receivers of the NFL. After achieving 919 yards in his rookie season, he then broke the 1000 Yard brand every season and has been the go-to-guy from Quarterback Jayden Daniels since the past season. He is an elite receiver, which the Commanders rewarded in July 2022 with a high-dot contract extension over three years and $ 68.2 million.

However, his resulting average annual salary of $ 22,788 million has been overtaken by the market since then. And that clearly. According to the current status, it only occupies 16th place among all wide receivers in the NFL. Apart from that, his contract also expires at the end of the season and in 2025 he was only $ 15.5 million of non -guaranteed salary – he received the roster bonus of $ 2.8 million in March.

This was only publicly public a few weeks ago, but it is now known that McLaurin is pounding on a new contract. According to reports, he is said to have already skipped the OTAs and is now missing in the Minicamp. Nothing is known of a trading request, nor as much as he would like to have money. But it should still be clear that, as three years ago, he would expect a deal at the market level again.

As is known, that Wide Receiver market has exploded since McLaurin’s last signature. Probably the best receiver of the league, Justin Jefferson, only ranks 2nd with average $ 35 million, while Ja’marr Chase has risen to the best paid non-quartersback this year ($ 40.25 million). And since DK Metcalf is now an average of $ 33 million after his change of Steelers, McLaurin should not accept much less.

Here, too, the player seems to be sitting on the longer lever, after all you have upgraded again in DC to blow from Daniels to a major attack in the second year. This requires the top receiver in the team, which will be paid safely in the end.

Trey Hendrickson – Edge Rusher, Cincinnati Bengals

This personnel is already known. While Trey Hendrickson has been waiting for a new contract or a trade for months, one of his coaches kindly informed him that he was to expect a fine to stay away from Minicamp. However, he didn’t appear.

Hendrickson is still a maximum of $ 16 million this season, but the top earner on Edge earns 40 million on average (see above). Now Hendrickson will not find anyone who pays him this sum and has already traded for him. But Hendrickson now brought it to 17.5 sacks twice in series and also led the NFL in 2024. For me, he would even have been the defensive Player of the Year. Accordingly, it should already be possible to offer him an average of at least $ 30 million, with which he would at least reach the top 5 in the gel ranking on Edge.

Hendrickson had made it clear weeks ago that he would no longer play for Cincinnati without a new contract. And after the Bengals had already extended lucrative with chase and tea highgins, the expectation that Hendrickson would not be long in coming. Obviously there was different. And the fronts seem hardened, especially since the Bengals’ trade demand for Hendrickson apparently also seems to be astronomical – we were even talking about a first round pick.

That alone seems excluded for a 31-year-old Edge Rusher. For the Bengals, however, the Bengal is also more difficult that a possible successor for Hendrickson, first roundpick Shemar Stewart, is currently not training. He is in the contract dispatch because the Bengals apparently want to cheer him on details in the contract that enable guarantees in certain cases. To the extent that the NFL has not yet existed for rookies.

The bottom line is that the Bengals will bend in the end if they really want to set a better defense than in the previous year. And that also means paying Hendrickson appropriately – unless someone is still willing to take money and high draft picks in hand.

Jalen Ramsey – Cornerback, Miami Dolphins

In the case of Jalen Ramsey, the situation is completely different. Ramsey is not the initiator here, but rather the team. The Dolphins want to get rid of Ramsey. And mainly for financial reasons. In total, Ramsey are entitled to more than 24 guaranteed million dollars this year. And they are also appropriate if you consider how well Ramsey is at the age of 31.

But the Dolphins want or have to save, which is why they want to get rid of it. And of course this via trade, as everyone is now known. Any other form of separation would be quite a problem for the current situation of Miami. And because the team wants to get rid of him, he doesn’t take part in the Minicamp – after all, you don’t want to risk any injury.

So far, no suitable trade partner has found itself, because in addition to a well -being draft pick, the player’s content would also have to be worn somehow. It is possible that the current deal that runs until 2028 is so restructured that Miami still swallows most of this year’s salary. Until then, a team should actually be motivated. A change back to the Rams seems conceivable, but so far there have been no signs that there is great interest from there.

Accordingly, we will not see Ramsey on the pitch at the Dolphins. And that could drag down to the training camp, should there be hope for an departure of the star player.