NFL Power Rankings: A lot of teams dealing with contract standoffs as preseason starts

A video of Brandon Aiyuk, in a black hoodie and black pants, strolling across the San Francisco 49ers practice field this week and exchanging pleasantries with coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch was broken down like it was part of an episode of “CSI.”

Did that mean everything was good with Aiyuk and the 49ers? That a new contract was coming? More than likely, it was just a normal handshake between men who have a lot of history together.

But there’s a lot at stake for the 49ers over the next month when it comes to contract standoffs, and they’re not alone.

There are a few “hold-ins” going on around the NFL. The old school holdout, the most famous of which might have been Emmitt Smith missing the first two games of the Dallas Cowboys’ 1993 season, is mostly a thing of the past. Players usually don’t sit at home and miss practices and games, though it still happens and there are some examples this year. Changes to the collective-bargaining agreement have made it a lot tougher for players to completely hold out. The preferred method of protesting a contract situation has become showing up to camp and not practicing. There are some high-profile cases this year.

Aiyuk isn’t practicing. Neither is Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase. New England Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon is having a hold in and video of him seemingly having words with Patriots coach Jerod Mayo got attention. Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs isn’t doing team drills. Some players have gone the throwback route: Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams and New York Jets defensive end Haason Reddick haven’t shown up to camp.

That list contains some of the best players in the NFL. Many of the teams mentioned are Super Bowl contenders. There’s no freakout yet because it’s early and players have less leverage for holdouts, but each of those situations could affect the season in important ways.

It also might not be the end of the world. Last year…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-08-01 12:27:10

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