New England Patriots official training camp is not set to open until July 23, but in many ways the most important day for the six-time Super Bowl winning organization comes four days earlier, on Saturday.
That’s the day rookies are required to report to the Patriots’ training facility, located behind Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. But one of the most important rookies â and to be sure, one of the Patriots’ most important offensive players for the upcoming season â may not show up, despite a major development Thursday that, at least from the league’s perspective, should be good news for all unsigned Round Two picks.
The Patriots player, of course, is second-round draft pick TreVeyon Henderson, the former Ohio State running back who as of Wednesday remained one of 30 2025 second-round picks who had refused to sign their four-year rookie contracts.
If and when Henderson does sign, he will get a four-year deal worth $11,131,116. But that’s not the issue.
One Player Blinks, Signs Non-Fully Guaranteed Deal
In May, the top two picks in the second round â UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger and Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins â were granted fully guaranteed contracts by their new teams, the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans, respectively. That had never been done before, for any second-round pick.
Perhaps predictably, the other 30 second-rounders wanted their deals to be fully guaranteed as well. So they all refused to sign.
Until Wednesday night.
“The first domino may have fallen when the San Francisco 49ers agreed to a deal with defensive tackle Alfred Collins â the No. 43 pick â that includes an 88 percent guarantee of his deal,” The Athletic reported Thursday.
Though Collins did not receive a full guarantee of the $10,296,326 slotted for the 43rd pick, the 88 percent figure was a significant increase from the 78 percent guarantee given to last year’s No. 43 selection, the Arizona Cardinals’ Max Melton.
What does this all mean for Henderson and the Patriots? Now that one player has blinked in the historic second-round stare down, is the road clear for Henderson?
Not so fast.
While a firm prediction is impossible, the reality is, the next “domino” will probably not be the New England rookie. The basic reason is pretty simple. But there are complicating factors as well.
Henderson’s Situation is More Complex
Collins was picked with the 11th selection in Round Two. But the Patriots picked No. 6 in that round, and used that pick on the 2024 Big Ten leader in yards per carry (7.1).
NFL contract negotiations are largely based on precedent, and a lower pick does not set a precedent for a player drafted above him. In other words, the 49ers’ Collins signing may not affect Henderson’s status at all.
The player Henderson is most likely waiting on is Seattle Seahawks second-rounder Nick Emmanwori, who was taken with the third pick in the round. Does the former South Carolina safety break with Schwesinger and Higgins, the two players drafted imedaitey before him, and accept a partially guaranteed deal?
As of Tuesday, when Seattle rookies reported, the answer appeared to be no. Emmanwori was not seen at the Seahawks training facility.
There are other factors complicating Henderson’s situation as well. Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Tre Harris is now an official holdout accoridng to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Harris, out of Ole Miss, was taken well below Henderson at the 23rd second-round spot.
And then there’s New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, who believes according to media reports that he will be the Saints’ starting QB this year and as a result, should get a full salary guarantee.
Shough was picked two slots below Henderson.
Nothing will become clear until Saturday, but as things stand now, there appear to be more factors pointing in the direction of Henderson’s staging a holdout than “blinking” in the second-round impasse.
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