Tua Tagovailoa, Micah Parsons and one player contract worth watching for every NFL team

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Contract disputes have a habit of hovering over NFL teams at this time of year.

For now, T.J. Watt and how close he can get to being the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player again is the talk in Pittsburgh. Dallas Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons said he will be in Oxnard, Calif., for training camp while seeking a new contract. Meanwhile, James Cook and the Bills are trying to find a resolution in Buffalo.

There are standoffs like these across the league — some of immediate concern and others more on the horizon. The Athletic’s NFL beat writers did the heavy lifting, though, and picked one player contract (sometimes two) worth watching for every NFL team.

Check out the picks below.

Arizona Cardinals

S Jalen Thompson

GM Monti Ossenfort in April signed Trey McBride to a four-year, $76 million extension that briefly made McBride the NFL’s highest-paid tight end. Over the last couple of years, Ossenfort and the Cardinals also have extended safety Budda Baker, running back James Conner, linebacker/edge Zaven Collins and others. Time is running out on Thompson. The veteran safety, who turns 27 this month, approaches the final year of his contract (which has a void year in 2026). Thompson has been a key defensive piece over six seasons in the desert. Not elite, but productive and reliable. He finished third on last season’s team in tackles. Arizona seems to be grooming Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, a 2024 fourth-round pick, as Thompson’s replacement but his readiness remains in question. — Doug Haller

Atlanta Falcons

DT David Onyemata

The name on everyone’s mind is Kirk Cousins, but the quarterback’s overall cap hit won’t change much even if Atlanta finds a trading partner in the next month or so. The team could save some money and cap room by releasing Onyemata, a 32-year-old defensive tackle entering his 10th year in the league. Onyemata has the third-highest cap hit on the roster this year ($16.9 million) and the Falcons could get $10 million of cap room by releasing him. It would be a very risky move after already cutting ties with veteran DT Grady Jarrett and it would require rapid development from the young linemen, but Atlanta’s new staff has shown a strong desire to get younger and more athletic on defense. — Josh Kendall

Baltimore Ravens

QB Lamar Jackson

The Ravens have multiple key players entering contract years who are candidates for extensions, including center Tyler Linderbaum, tight ends Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews and edge rusher Odafe Oweh. They also want to extend All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, who is under contract through 2026. But everything starts with the franchise quarterback. When Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million extension in 2023, it was always viewed as a three-year pact. Jackson’s cap number rises to $74.5 million in 2026 and 2027, an untenable number for building a Super Bowl-caliber roster around the two-time MVP quarterback. Jackson isn’t going anywhere, but the Ravens need to work out a deal with him within the next nine months to give themselves some cap breathing room. — Jeff Zrebiec

Buffalo Bills

RB James Cook

The Cook contract extension conversation has been constant in Buffalo since February. Cook enjoyed a career year that boasted efficiency and saw his touchdowns triple from 2023 (6) to 2024 (18). Despite that, the Bills and Cook haven’t found common ground as the running back enters his contract year. Brandon Beane, since he became general manager, has never issued a lucrative deal to a running back. He’s not necessarily against it, but the Bills haven’t had the type of asset to warrant deviating from that philosophy. If the sides don’t get close to a deal, the Bills aren’t going to force the issue, as they have long stuck to their values even with in-house players. Another sneaky one to watch is starting center Connor McGovern, who is also a free agent after the season. — Joe Buscaglia

Carolina Panthers

OT Ikem Ekwonu

The Panthers have locked up their home-grown, core players since Dan Morgan took over as GM in 2024, signing first-round picks Derrick Brown and Jaycee Horn to extensions. Ekwonu appears to be next. After the sides failed to get a deal done during the offseason, the Panthers announced after the second night of the draft that they were picking up Ekwonu’s fifth-year option for 2026 (worth $17.6 million). Ekwonu, the No. 6 pick in 2022, remains the same dominant run blocker he was at N.C. State. But his pass blocking still needs polish. He gave up four fewer sacks in 2024 than the 11 he allowed in ’23, but Pro Football Focus had Ekwonu ranked 126th out of 140 tackles in that category. — Joseph Person

Chicago Bears

S Jaquan Brisker

Brisker is the Bears’ only surefire starter who is under 30 and in a contract year. Concussions have been a serious issue. The latest one — which occurred in Week 5 last season — kept Brisker out the rest of the year. He hasn’t been shy about his motivation. He’s gifted athletically and a vocal leader, a trait that was sorely missed last season, but concussions are unpredictable, putting risk on any potential extension. Veteran Kevin Byard is set to be a free agent, too, making safety a 2026 need. Braxton Jones has to win the left tackle job first before we talk about his extension prospects. — Kevin Fishbain

Cincinnati Bengals

DEs Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart

Just one? Hendrickson and Stewart were both vocal in airing grievances about the state of their contract discussions this offseason. Stewart feels more likely to avoid distraction than Hendrickson if both sides can come to their senses on default language when rookies report for camp. Hendrickson sounds willing to keep the distractions rolling and stated publicly he won’t play on the current contract. The best play for the Bengals in terms of team chemistry would be to get both these done before camp and hit the season running. However, with Hendrickson, that feels unlikely given how dug in both sides have been in these discussions. — Paul Dehner Jr.

Cleveland Browns

CB Greg Newsome II

Newsome is playing 2025 on his fully guaranteed fifth-year option worth a little over $13 million. That’s fine for now from a pure numbers standpoint as the Browns are counting on their defense to spark a turnaround in 2025. But Newsome doesn’t start in the base defense, and the fifth-year option structure means the Browns would incur no dead money if they traded him at some point before November. Both Newsome and Martin Emerson Jr, the team’s No. 2 cornerback, are only signed through 2025. If the Browns can only choose one for the future, given their cap issues, Newsome could be moved strictly based on the savings and 2026 cap rollover a trade would create. — Zac Jackson

Dallas Cowboys

DE Micah Parsons

The Cowboys have several key players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, but none of their financial situations come close to Parsons’, who is in the fifth year of his rookie deal. Parsons did not attend organized team activities but was in attendance for mandatory minicamp. He has said that he will be in California for the start of training camp whether or not a new deal has been reached. However, he did not confirm if he would be doing on-field work without a new contract. It seems likely that he will not participate if that’s the case. With Dallas being in the first year with a new head coach and largely new coaching staff, it seems to be in everyone’s best interest for Parsons and the Cowboys to get something worked out before the first camp practice, which is scheduled for July 22. — Jon Machota

Denver Broncos

WR Courtland Sutton

Sutton held out of Denver’s offseason program last year, angling for an extension of a contract that still had two years remaining at the time. He and the Broncos agreed to a minor salary adjustment in 2024 that offered an opportunity to claim nearly $2 million in incentives. Sutton hit most of those escalators during arguably his best career season (81 catches, 1,081 yards and eight TDs), setting him up for a real extension as he now enters the final year of his deal. Sutton and young quarterback Bo Nix have built a strong chemistry and he is vital to Denver’s offensive attack. He has accounted for 19 touchdowns since Sean Payton took over as coach in 2023. Both sides expressed a desire to reach a new deal this offseason that would keep Sutton in Denver long term. The veteran practiced with the team during the offseason program this spring, an encouraging sign negotiations were headed in the right direction. — Nick Kosmider

Detroit Lions

WR Jameson Williams

Williams’ time in Detroit has been a roller coaster — including a gambling suspension, a performance-enhancing substance suspension and a gun incident that was dropped. However, everything started to come together for Williams last season. He had 58 receptions for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns in a loaded Detroit offense. Coaches have raved about him this offseason, though Lions GM Brad Holmes paused a bit when discussing his future with the team. The Lions might not be able to afford Williams long term if he continues on his current trajectory. His contract runs through the 2026 season, so they have time. If he’s part of the core, an extension sooner rather than later makes sense. But if they’re far off on numbers, could a trade be on the horizon in 2026? — Colton Pouncy

Wide receiver Jameson Williams’ (9) time in Detroit has been a roller coaster, but he’s produced. Is he in the Lions’ future? (Lon Horwedel / Imagn Images)

Green Bay Packers

RT Zach Tom

Tom isn’t exactly a household name, but he’s about to be one. The 2022 fourth-round pick received the third-most All-Pro votes among right tackles last season behind Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson and Detroit’s Penei Sewell. He should command well into the $20 millions on his new deal, which he’ll likely get before the 2025 regular season starts. Tom participated in all of Green Bay’s voluntary and mandatory offseason work, saying, “Being here with the guys, I think that’s worth a lot more.” — Matt Schneidman

Houston Texans

QB C.J. Stroud

The Texans could pick up the fifth-year option of the talented quarterback’s contract next spring. But if he delivers a strong 2025 campaign, it’s more likely they’ll work out a multiyear deal. Stroud shined as a rookie but regressed in his second season, largely because of poor offensive line play and struggles by then-offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. The Texans overhauled the offensive line and drafted more wide receivers to help better support Stroud. If he and the Texans offense can rebound this season, he could follow Brock Purdy as the latest quarterback to land a five-year, $250 million-plus contract. — Mike Jones

Indianapolis Colts

LT Bernhard Raimann

Raimann, a 2022 third-round pick, is entering the final year of his four-year, $5.3 million rookie contract. The 27-year-old struggled when he was thrust into a full-time starting role midway through his rookie season, but Raimann has emerged as one of the better left tackles in the NFL since then. He is projected to earn $20 million annually on his next contract, according to Spotrac, and he’ll have plenty of suitors if he becomes an unrestricted free agent next year. However, it would obviously behoove the Colts to work out an extension, perhaps this summer, to keep him in Indy. — James Boyd

Jacksonville Jaguars

RB Travis Etienne

Etienne is playing on his fifth-year option before hitting free agency, and the 26-year-old is hopeful the timing works in his favor. Coach Liam Coen is so often praised for his QB guidance, but his offensive philosophy remains rooted in a strong running game. Etienne had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons before a forgettable 558-yard output over 15 games in 2024. Tank Bigsby led the Jags in rushing, and they drafted Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round. Etienne has the talent to be a lead back, but he’ll have to produce to earn it. This season could very well determine whether Etienne enters free agency as a marquee target or a back who gets lumped in with the pool of veterans who cycle through one-year deals. — Jeff Howe

Kansas City Chiefs

G Trey Smith

The Chiefs welcomed back Smith for June’s mandatory minicamp, an encouraging sign amid his push for a new contract. The Pro Bowler — already a part of two championship teams in Kansas City — skipped all of OTAs after being franchise-tagged in March. “There’s no secret we’d like to get Trey locked up,” general manager Brett Veach said earlier this year. All signs point to this getting done. For one, Smith deserves it. He allowed just 1.5 sacks last season. And secondly, the way Philadelphia wrecked Kansas City’s offensive line in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs can’t risk any more blocking issues in 2025. One teammate, defensive end Chris Jones, said he was thrilled Smith wasn’t taking a hardline stance and skipping the entire offseason — like Jones did two years ago: “It’s good Trey didn’t take my approach,” Jones said. “I think the future plans of the Chiefs is to have Trey around.” Smith will make $23.4 million this year on the tag if a deal doesn’t happen. — Zak Keefer

Las Vegas Raiders

OT Kolton Miller

Miller is going into the final year of his contract and is set to make a base salary of over $12.2 million, which ranks 11th among left tackles, according to Spotrac. He briefly sat out during OTAs in search of a new deal but ultimately reported without receiving one. He’s only 29, has missed just seven games in seven years and has consistently been an above-average player. It’ll be interesting to see if the Raiders sign him to an extension before the season or have him play things out. — Tashan Reed

Los Angeles Chargers

LT Rashawn Slater

The Chargers and Slater remain in contract extension negotiations. The Chargers picked up Slater’s fifth-year option in May 2024. Slater is slated to play 2025 on that option, which would pay him $19.04 million, according to Over the Cap. Slater is one of the best left tackles in the game, and he played well enough last season to command a top-of-the-market extension. The Bucs’ Tristan Wirfs is the highest-paid tackle in the league at $28.15 million in average annual value. Slater should be in that ballpark. Slater skipped voluntary organized team activities but was present for mandatory minicamp. At minicamp, Slater said he has “full confidence” a deal will get done. — Daniel Popper

Los Angeles Rams

RB Kyren Williams

The Rams initially opened contract negotiations with Williams’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, at the league meeting this spring. That the two sides have continued to talk is a good sign that an early extension for the Rams’ No. 1 rusher could be worked out by the end of training camp. The Rams will not pay top-market money for a running back, but Williams is a team leader and one of the more productive at his position in the NFL. He doesn’t hit “home run” explosives, but he tied among his peers for the third-most rushing touchdowns in 2024 (14) and ranked seventh in total rushing yards (1,299). If a compromise can be struck, training camp is the usual timeline for such deals under this era of Rams leadership. — Jourdan Rodrigue

Miami Dolphins

QB Tua Tagovailoa

There’s a world where this is Tagovailoa’s final season in Miami. To be clear, the odds of the Dolphins moving on after this season are remote (it’s far more likely after 2026), but it’s maybe not as crazy as you think. Imagine if the up-against-the-cap Dolphins struggle to a five- or six-win 2025 season. Ownership decides it’s time for a hard reset, and the new GM and coach don’t see Tagovailoa, with his concussion history and limitations as a pocket passer, as a franchise QB. They decide to draft a QB and look to trade Tagovailoa to a QB-needy team. His value would depend on his health and how he plays this year, but for the record: Simply cutting him after this season would come with a $79 million dead cap hit. That’s a lot, but it wouldn’t even be the NFL record. — Jim Ayello

Minnesota Vikings

S Josh Metellus

The homegrown safety may not be a household name, but Metellus has been integral to coordinator Brian Flores’ defenses. He plays linebacker. He lines up as a slot defender. He blitzes. Few defenders in the NFL are as versatile as he is. Not to mention, he’s a captain and also has been a pivotal contributor on special teams. Metellus’ contract is scheduled to void after the 2025 season. He has said that he wants to remain in Minnesota, and the Vikings prefer to keep him. The question is: Can they find common ground on a number? Metellus’ many roles complicate any estimate regarding his value. He also witnessed former Vikings safety Cam Bynum bet on himself and get rewarded on the open market. — Alec Lewis

New England Patriots

RB Rhamondre Stevenson

The Patriots don’t really have an obvious contract problem, either in terms of potential holdouts or deals that must get done. Instead, let’s look toward the future. They gave Stevenson a four-year, $36 million extension last summer (which is just kicking in this year), a deal that already looks foolish after his struggles last season. Then they drafted running back TreVeyon Henderson in the second round, giving them an out to move on from Stevenson after the season if he struggles. That’s going to make this an important season for Stevenson. — Chad Graff

New Orleans Saints

TE Taysom Hill

The Saints’ jack-of-all-trades offensive weapon possesses the highest salary cap figure on the roster at nearly $18 million. He also turns 35 in August and will attempt to return after an ACL tear in Week 13 last season. New coach Kellen Moore seems optimistic Hill can return this season, but who knows if Hill will ever be the same given his age and the wear and tear on his body. The Saints could save $10 million if they cut Hill, but for once they actually don’t need the space since they’re around $23 million under the cap. Still, it’s fair to wonder if we’ve seen the last of Hill with the Saints. — Larry Holder

New York Giants

OL Evan Neal

The Giants declined to pick up Neal’s fifth-year option this spring, setting up the former No. 7 pick for a crucial 2025 season. Especially as he transitions from right tackle to guard after a disappointing start to his Giants tenure due to injuries and poor play. Neal earned plenty of starting reps this spring as the Giants managed their starters’ workloads. Now, Neal’s most likely path to a starting spot would be beating out the 35-year-old Greg Van Roten for the role of right guard. How the position switch goes will determine Neal’s future in New York. — Charlotte Carroll

New York Jets

CB Sauce Gardner and WR Garrett Wilson

Yes, I cheated and picked two, but it’s hard to pick one without including the other. Until (or if) the Jets’ two young stars sign an extension, it will be a topic to confront. The longer the Jets wait, the more they’ll have to pay. Gardner wants to be the highest-paid corner in the NFL — and I’d expect that Wilson is seeking in the range of $25-30 million per season. Both have publicly stated they want to be with New York for life — and the Jets would be smart to lock in their two biggest building blocks sooner than later, even if they don’t technically have to. — Zack Rosenblatt

Philadelphia Eagles

DT Jalen Carter

NFL teams can’t enter negotiations with someone they drafted until after the final regular season game of their third contract year. So, there won’t be any news on an extension between the Eagles and Carter during the upcoming season. But GM Howie Roseman spent the offseason tidying up the organization’s books partly to accommodate what could very well be a record-setting contract for their star interior defensive lineman. Carter secured his first Pro Bowl selection in 2024. The degree of his dominance in 2025 will dictate where he’ll eventually land in relation to Kansas City’s Chris Jones, the NFL’s highest-paid interior lineman at $31.75 million. Owner Jeffrey Lurie authorizes Roseman to set the market instead of chasing it. I’d expect the Eagles to again extend another core player sooner rather than later. — Brooks Kubena

Pittsburgh Steelers

OLB T.J. Watt

Back in 2021, the Steelers made Watt the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player when they signed the star edge rusher to a four-year, $112-million extension. However, to get his money, Watt had to stage a prolonged “hold-in” that wasn’t resolved until the Thursday before the season opener. As Watt enters the final year of his current deal, he has again brought attention to his unresolved contract situation by skipping OTAs and mandatory minicamp. While both sides have expressed a desire for Watt to finish his career in Pittsburgh, will they come to a resolution more quickly this time around, and how close will Watt get to matching Myles Garrett’s deal, which pays the Cleveland edge rusher $40 million per season? — Mike DeFabo

Entering the final year of his deal, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp amid a contract dispute. (Eric Hartline / Imagn Images)

San Francisco 49ers

WR Jauan Jennings

Jennings set career highs with 77 receptions for 975 yards and six touchdowns last season and may be asked to do even more this year, with the departure of Deebo Samuel to the Commanders and with Brandon Aiyuk still rehabbing ACL and MCL injuries. Jennings, a seventh-round pick out of Tennessee in 2020, is entering the final season of a two-year, $15.4 million contract extension, and he had to notice the 49ers securing the futures of Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Fred Warner this offseason. Not that Jennings is on that level, but offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said last month that Jennings sees himself as a No. 1 receiver “and that’s why we love Jauan.” — Vic Tafur

Seattle Seahawks

LT Charles Cross

Cross is one of six notable extension-eligible players from Seattle’s 2022 draft class, along with outside linebacker Boye Mafe, running back Ken Walker III, right tackle Abe Lucas, cornerback Riq Woolen and safety Coby Bryant. Given Cross’ age (24), position and status as the team’s best player up front, signing him to an extension before camp seems like an obvious decision. Cross is a good but not great player, but between Seattle’s low retention rate along the offensive line and the resources required to find competent tackle play, he should have a salary floor of at least $21 million per year on a new deal. — Michael-Shawn Dugar

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

WR Mike Evans

Evans is in the final year of a two-year, $41 million deal. The last time he was in this position, it was apparent he and his agent were getting impatient with the Bucs. Now? He will be 32 soon but hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. GM Jason Licht’s first draft pick in Tampa remains one of the Bucs’ greatest players ever and a leader who is highly respected in the locker room and community. The Bucs won’t want to lose him, but the team also recently signed Chris Godwin to a contract extension and used a first-round pick on Emeka Egbuka. Retaining Evans, especially at a similar price, may be difficult. — Dan Pompei

Tennessee Titans

CB Roger McCreary

The Titans don’t have too many contract extension decisions to make — that’s what happens when you do a terrible job of drafting over several years and just had the worst record in the league with arguably the worst roster. But McCreary seems like a smart extension to get done this summer, as the 2022 second-round pick enters his fourth season. He has been a good player. Not a great one, but a versatile and durable one, missing just four games in his first three seasons. Considering all the other questions the Titans have at corner and elsewhere, locking in a pro like McCreary seems a solid bet for GM Mike Borgonzi. — Joe Rexrode

Washington Commanders

WR Terry McLaurin

The 29-year-old McLaurin has no years remaining on his contract following this season and thus is a candidate to hold out (or hold in) when the Commanders report for training camp. McLaurin is one of the most productive wide receivers in the game, recording five straight 1,000-yard campaigns and at least 900 receiving yards in each of his six pro seasons. He’s unlikely to land a deal to rival that of Ja’Marr Chase (four years, $161 million, average of $40.25 million). But a deal that tops Tee Higgins’ terms (four years, $115 million, and $28 million average) does seem realistic. It’s just a matter of when the Commanders get the deal done. — Mike Jones

(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images, Lon Horwedel, Andrew Dieb / Imagn Images)

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