For the majority of NFL players, training camp is all about knuckling down and doing all you can to prepare for the upcoming season.
But scattered across the 32 teams are a number of players that are currently holding out, as they stand at a deadlock with their teams in regard to their contract situations.
Players can employ different tactics to resolve their situations from completely holding out and failing to report to training camp, or by holding in, which sees them attend team facilities, but limit what they do once they are in the building.
The fines will rack up, but the players will be hoping it’s all part of a calculated risk to secure their future. Here’s a look at five notable training camp holdouts.
Brandon Aiyuk - San Francisco 49ers
Aiyuk has been the subject of speculation all offseason, with pre-draft trade rumours coming to nothing and both parties still appearing to be some distance apart when it comes to negotiations for the wideout, who is about to enter the final year of his rookie deal.
Aiyuk has reported for training camp but is not practising as he looks to be rewarded for an excellent 2023 campaign that saw him record a team-high 1,342 receiving yards. As things stand, this one is hard to call.
Ja’Marr Chase - Cincinnati Bengals
Like Aiyuk, Bengals wideout Chase has reported to camp but is yet to put on his cleats. Head coach Zac Taylor has said Chase’s absence is part of a pre-agreed plan, indicating that relations between player and team are still good.
The Niners and Bengals may well be cursing the Vikings for handing Justin Jefferson a $140million deal with $110million in guaranteed money in June, setting a new benchmark for wide receivers to earn.
Matthew Judon - New England Patriots
Linebacker Judon should be a key piece of Jerod Mayo’s new-look Patriots team, but after he sat out the team’s first two padded practices and was seen having a heated exchange with Mayo on the sideline, some feared the situation was turning nasty.
It would appear that bridges have been mended though, as the 31-year-old has now returned to practice as he seeks to negotiate an improvement on his current deal, which will see him earn a base salary of $6.5million this season.
CeeDee Lamb - Dallas Cowboys
Lamb’s sensational finish to the 2023 season has strengthened his hand as he looks for an extension after entering the final year of his current deal.
The 25-year-old did not travel with the Cowboys to their training camp in Oxnard, California last month and the two sides look to be at an impasse.
Trent Williams - San Francisco 49ers
An even bigger issue for the Niners than Aiyuk is Trent Williams holding out, with the tackle failing to report to training camp so far. The 36-year-old remains one of the best linemen in the league but has no guaranteed money on the three remaining years of the six-year deal he signed in 2021 and wants that to change.
Given his age and experience, training camp snaps are not vital for a player of his calibre, but the team will look to add guarantees into the back end of his deal and get him back with the team as soon as they can.
Live on DAZN: Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov on August 3. Click here for details.