As stories wind down and drama concludes, the stage is set for the 2025 NFL season. The month of August is an interesting time to be an NFL fan. As preseason football begins, the long awaited taste of NFL football returns, albeit without the full glitz and glamour of the regular season. In hopes of glimpsing a look at their team for the season, fans will scour articles and news beat reports from practices, or even watch hours of backups and third stringers in preseason games battle it out for spots on the final 53 man roster. However, amongst the return of football action is a constant period of negotiations for many teams, aiming to prevent contract holdouts from stretching into the regular season. This article is meant to examine the effects of three key contract holdouts from the preseason, recap early looks at first year rookies across the league, and finally explore the potential struggles as a result of key preseason injuries.

Amongst several key preseason contract disputes across the league, three All-Pro players created headlines in their searches for new record breaking contracts. Those players were Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, and Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons, each coming off of extraordinary 2024 seasons and looking for lucrative deals. The first domino to fall amongst these players was Terry McLaurin, recording a dominant 2024 season after receiving the first elite quarterback play of his career from rookie phenom Jayden Daniels. Following reports emerging of McLaurin seeking a contract similar to that signed by new Steelers receiver DK Metcalf, averaging about $33 million per season, McLaurin requested a trade from the Commanders. Often used as a contract leverage tactic, the trade request eventually resulted in a slightly lower but still lucrative 3 year, $96 million contract extension with the Commanders, averaging $32 million per season. The next contract resolution came in Cincinnati with Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals. Hendrickson, coming off a dominant season leading the NFL in sacks, sought a contract that would pay him a similar mark to the top edge rushers in the league and solidify him as a long term cornerstone on the Bengals defense. However, after handing out massive deals to Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, owner Mike Brown initially let Trey Hendrickson seek trade offers, likely being unable to afford a fourth long term contract signed in such a quick span. However, with no offers materializing, the Bengals and Hendrickson eventually agreed on a revised one year, $30 million contract, allowing him to enter free agency following the 2025 season. 

The final player in need of a new lucrative contract was Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons, a player off to a historic start to his career. Parsons ranked fifth all time in sacks in the first four seasons in a career, even despite missing the first four games of the 2024 season. Parsons also recorded two First Team All Pro nominations and a Second Team All Pro nomination, solidifying as arguably the best defensive player in the entire NFL. However, after a strange negotiation period with notorious Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, in which Jones attempted to get Parsons to sign a contract extension without his agent present, the relationship between Parsons and the Cowboys organization began to deteriorate. Similar to the other two superstars seeking new deals, Parsons also requested a trade, citing his treatment by the organization. However, unlike with the other two players a trade actually materialized, and Parsons was sent to the Green 

Bay Packers (YES) in exchange for two first round picks and defensive lineman Kenny Clark. The move instantly solidifies Green Bay’s pass rush as one of the top units in the league, and creates a massive hole in the Cowboys edge rushing room. Following the trade, Parsons and the Packers also agreed on a record breaking 4 year, $188 million deal, shattering the record for largest contract for a non-quarterback in NFL history. Just one week before the NFL regular season kicked off, easily the largest trade of the offseason occurred, with one of the league’s top players heading up north to play for the league’s best team (unbiased) the Green Bay Packers.

Another key aspect of the preseason is the first action of many rookies taken in the NFL draft in April, with a few rookies making headlines with exciting performances. Among the preseason’s top performers was Giants rookie quarterback Jaxon Dart, taken in the first round with the hope of being the Giants next franchise quarterback. Through three preseason performances, Dart recorded four total touchdowns, only one turnover, and a very solid 68 completion percentage. In early action, Dart seemingly showed a huge amount of potential. Another top rookie preseason performer was Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson, jetting up the field on juking tacklers on his way to scoring a 100 yard return touchdown on his first career touch. Beyond that return, Henderson dazzled with 7.6 yards per carry on the ground, and scored an additional touchdown in his second preseason appearance. It appears that New England acquired a truly dynamic talent in the second round of the draft. Several other rookies had solid preseason performances, with solid outings from first overall pick Cam Ward, third overall pick Abdul Carter, and even Commanders 7th round pick Bill Croskey-Merritt making headlines. Through a few preseason games of action, the future looks bright for the 2025 NFL draft class.

Finally, the most heartbreaking aspect of each year’s preseason is the slew of injuries that will go on to affect the regular season. It seems that every season, one fanbase’s dreams are crushed by a heartbreaking injury to a star player, with this year proving no exception. Chargers left tackle Rashawn Slater, one of the most dominant and consistent offensive linemen in the entire NFL, suffered a season ending torn patellar tendon on August 7th, creating a huge hole on a Chargers offense expected to be one of the league’s premier units. The Atlanta Falcons also suffered a fierce blow on the offensive line, with starting right tackle Kaleb McGary slated to miss the entire season with a leg injury, creating a hole on the blind side for left handed quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Among other key injuries were the foot injury suffered in the offseason by Joe Mixon, inevitably delaying his season until at least week 5 after being placed on injured reserve to begin the NFL season, and the back soreness continually suffered by Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. With Stafford entering his age 37 season, back soreness causing multiple missed weeks of training camp certainly isn’t a good omen to begin the 2025 season, even if he begins week one seemingly healthy. Whether it be a season-long hole created by a devastating injury, or a seemingly nagging injury suffered by a veteran player, teams will certainly be planning around the injuries from the NFL preseason.

While the preseason only provides a taste of true NFL football, this preseason was unlike many others with the seemingly constant breaking news across the months of July and August. From arguably the best defensive player in the league changing teams, to several standout rookie performances, and sadly some heartbreaking injuries, this preseason set an undeniably unique stage for the NFL’s 106th season. And on Thursday night, when the Cowboys and Eagles kick off in Philadelphia, football will truly be back.