The 2025 NFL season may be just weeks away, but three star-level players still face uncertain futures.
Throughout the offseason, the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons, the Commanders’ Terry McLaurin and the Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson were all known to be among the next stars to potentially earn their next payday. Each of those players has been seeking a new deal since the 2024 season came to a close, but with the preseason about to be underway, none of them have gotten one — and because of that, each player requested a trade from their respective team.
Hendrickson, Cincinnati’s elite pass rusher, requested his trade months ago, but nothing has come to fruition. More recently, McLaurin, Washington’s top wide receiver, and Parsons, Dallas’ superstar defender, officially submitted requests to be dealt as their squads have failed to sign them to extensions.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
While NFL trade requests rarely pan out as actual deals, those three players will all likely either sign extensions or be dealt by Week 1. Which will it be for Hendrickson, McLaurin and Parsons?
The Sporting News is tracking the latest trade rumors about Trey Hendrickson, Terry McLaurin and Micah Parsons as each goes through a high-profile contract dispute. Follow along below with the latest reports about each star player.
MORE: The latest on James Cook’s hold-in with the Bills
Micah Parsons trade rumors tracker
Jerry Jones says he is not confident Parsons will be available for the season opener
The Cowboys are playing in the first game of the 2025 NFL season, facing the defending champion Eagles on Sept. 4. Less than a month away from kickoff, Jones is not confident that Parsons will be available.
“No, absolutely not,” Jones told reporters when asked if he was confident about Parsons’ availability against Philadelphia. “A big part of that is his decision. How would I know that?”
Jerry Jones tells fans not to ‘lose any sleep’ over Parsons’ trade request
In his first time talking to reporters following Parsons’ trade request, Jerry Jones told fans “don’t lose any sleep over” Parsons’ trade request.
“That’s the one thing I would say to our fans, ‘Don’t lose any sleep over it,'” Jones said.
To Jones’ point, it’s rare that NFL trade requests lead to actual trades, rather than the player eventually getting the extension they desire. But still, Parsons’ post on social media indicated he was very ready to move on from Dallas.
Teams will check in on Cowboys star’s availability
Immediately following Parsons’ trade request becoming public, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Cowboys have “no intention of trading” the star defender, but “still, teams around the league are planning to reach out” to check on Parsons’ availability.
All together, it was fairly unsurprising news after the trade request. Not only was it expected that the Cowboys would have no interest in trading Parsons, an All-Pro pass rusher that’s 26 years old, especially given the haul it would take to get equal value back, but it was also fair to expect teams to investigate on Parsons’ price after the request.
Micah Parsons officially requests trade from Cowboys
- Date: August 1
- Source: Micah Parsons
After months of Parsons’ contract situation reportedly making little progress, he made headlines by officially submitting a trade request to the Cowboys while also posting about it on social media.
In his post, Parsons wrote that he “wanted to be” in Dallas, but that’s “no longer” the case due to the team repeatedly trying to negotiate with him without his agent present, “shots taken at me for getting injured,” and an overall lack of communication about a contract between the Cowboys and his representative.
Thank you Dallas 🦁👑 🙏🏾! I pic.twitter.com/EUnEj9uRUt
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) August 1, 2025
MORE: Micah Parsons’ contract dispute, explained
Micah Parsons contract projection
With Parsons being just 26 and among the greatest pass rushers for his age in NFL history, the expectation remains that he’ll earn a deal that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback the league has ever seen.
Right now, that title belongs to T.J. Watt, who agreed to a three-year, $123 million extension with the Steelers that pays him $41 million per season. So, if Parsons is to take the new throne as the highest-paid non-passer, he’d make more than $41 million per year. And because he’s still considered young, it’s likely that Parsons signs a deal that goes at least three years, if not four or five.
Around $170 million over four years or around $210 million over five years could be the price tag for Parsons. Guaranteed money will be another talking point; Myles Garrett’s contract with the Browns was 77 percent guaranteed, while Watt’s was shorter, but 88 percent guaranteed.
MORE: The top potential trade landing spots for Micah Parsons
Terry McLaurin trade rumors tracker
Dan Quinn says McLaurin’s request is ‘normal business’ around the NFL
In the first time Commanders head coach Dan Quinn spoke to reporters about McLaurin’s trade request, he said noted that the team “loves Terry” and “hopefully he’s out practicing soon,” but said he understood there’s a “business side of this.”
“I’m really glad he’s here. I love coaching him. But the business side, that’s kind of where it’s at. It’s not — somebody asked me if it’s a distraction — it is not. Players today, they’re more aware of contracts and things maybe than they used to be,” Quinn said, per NFL.com. “They recognize that business part happens, as well, so for the team, we’re just rocking and going and throwing some great practices.
“For Terry and the trade request, that’s part of normal business that is happening around the NFL. It’s normal, we understand it, and we just throw our very best practices out on the field.”
Commanders reportedly ‘won’t trade’ McLaurin, but no movement on potential extension
Following McLaurin’s trade request, ESPN reported that “there has been no movement toward” a potential Commanders extension for the wide receiver, which is why he’s grown frustrated. McLaurin initially skipped the Commanders’ mandatory minicamp and first days of training camp, and while he did show up at the end of July, he was placed on the physically unable to perform list due to an ankle issue. Because he reported to camp, McLaurin could no longer be fined for his absence.
Schefter also reported that sources told him Washington “won’t trade” McLaurin.
Terry McLaurin requests trade from Commanders
Various reports indicated on July 31 that McLaurin, a two-time Pro Bowler, had requested to be traded by Washington. Entering a contract season, the wide receiver had been seeking an extension all offseason to prevent heading to free agency by next March, but he had yet to receive a deal from the Commanders.
McLaurin has had five consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, ranking among the top weapons in the league on an annual basis.
MORE: Terry McLaurin’s trade request, explained
Terry McLaurin contract projection
Currently, McLaurin has one year left on the three-year, $68 million extension he signed in 2022. The expectation is that he’s trying to land a deal north of $30 million per year, but part of the complication is that he’d already 31 years old when a potential extension kicks in.
Last year, Tyreek Hill signed a three-year extension for $30 million per year with Miami at age 30. Also in 2024, at age 31, Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans inked a two-year extension worth $20.5 million per season and $35 million guaranteed.
Other recent WR deals that could be comparable to McLaurin’s include 30-year old Courtland Sutton getting a four-year, $92 million contract ($23 million AAV) from Denver, Tee Higgins signing a four year, $115 million ($28.75 million AAV) from Cincinnati, and DK Metcalf getting a four-year, $132 million ($33 million AAV) from Pittsburgh.
Because McLaurin was in the same draft class as Metcalf, the Steelers receiver’s deal could be used as a template, but the problem is McLaurin is two years older than Metcalf. McLaurin has also been harder to judge as a top wide receiver compared to his peers at times, as it’s debatable whether he’s worth around the same money as a solid WR1 like Sutton, versus being paid as one of the top receivers in the NFL like Hill or Metcalf.
Guaranteed money will also be an sticking point for McLaurin, but due to his age, the Commanders are likely eyeing that Mike Evans range of $20.5 million per year, while McLaurin is likely seeking something similar to Metcalf (four years, $132 million). If they’re gonna get a deal done, it could land somewhere in the middle, such as a $25 million AAV, or McLaurin getting the total money he desires but taking a lower amount in guaranteed money.
MORE: The top potential trade landing spots for Terry McLaurin
Trey Hendrickson trade rumors tracker
Hendrickson’s hold-out becomes a hold-in
While Hendrickson had yet to receive a trade or new contract, he ended his holdout from training camp by reporting. He could no longer be fined for his absences, but Schefter reported that Hendrickson and the Bengals were no closer on an agreement yet.
The star pass rusher is not practicing with the team, seen wearing street clothes at practices, but is still attending training camp while seeking a resolution to his dispute.
Hendrickson does not report to training camp
As expected, Hendrickson did not report to training camp when it got under way, still seeking a new contract with his trade situation still not working out either. Bengals owner Mike Brown had previously said that they would not trade Hendrickson, but no progress appeared to have been made in a deal.
Trey Hendrickson says he won’t play in 2025 without new deal
As Bengals offseason workouts got under way, no Hendrickson trade had come to fruition. He told reporters that he would not play in 2025 without a new contract, but that he wants to return to the Bengals.
At the time, Hendrickson told ESPN that his representatives had had no communication with the Bengals since the NFL Draft.
Bengals grant Trey Hendrickson permission to seek trade
At the beginning of the NFL offseason, Cincinnati granted Hendrickson permission to seek a trade as he continued his desires for a lucrative contract extension.
“It’s been an honor and privilege to represent Cincinnati over the last four years,” Hendrickson said in a statement. “I love this city and organization. I appreciate the privilege of now being allowed to explore my options.”
MORE: The top potential trade landing spots for Trey Hendrickson
Trey Hendrickson contract projection
Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks in 2024, rightfully seeking a payday that puts him among the top pass rushers in the league. Just where he should slot in among the highest-paid pass rushers, however, is a reason for the dispute between Hendrickson and the Bengals.
One recent extension could help give an idea of a potential Hendrickson deal. Steelers star T.J. Watt signed a three-year, $123 million deal that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, including $108 million guaranteed. A record-breaking $41 million AAV isn’t something to expect for Hendrickson, despite him being the same age as Watt and with similar sack numbers the last two seasons.
Watt has much more of a track record as an all-world defender, as a seven-time Pro Bowler and former DPOY. But Watt’s deal could provide a ballpark range for Hendrickson’s price.
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti recently estimated that Hendrickson would be worth a three-year, $115 million deal that includes $100 million guaranteed, which isn’t too far off from Watt’s extension. That $38.5 million AAV would make Hendrickson the third-highest-paid EDGE in the league, trailing only Watt and Myles Garrett (and likely Micah Parsons after he signs a new deal).
All things told, that would be a price that could satisfy Hendrickson in ranking among the highest-paid pass rushers, despite not quite being considered one of the best 2-3 pass rushers in the league. Guaranteed money could be a cause of rift as well, but Cincinnati could also try to drop that closer to $90 million, such as Maxx Crosby’s $91 million guaranteed with Las Vegas.
Ultimately, NFL contracts are usually about comparing deals to previous deals, and Hendrickson’s contract would likely come in just below AAVs like the ones Watt and Garrett landed this offseason.
MORE: Trey Hendrickson’s contract dispute with Bengals, explained
