NFL minicamp storylines: Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, contract holdouts and QB battles

New York Times

3 days ago

After weeks of voluntary workouts and practices, the NFL action will briefly ramp up another notch or two in the coming days.
The majority of teams hold their mandatory minicamps this week, with a handful of others (Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks) taking the field in the June 16-19 window. The Chicago Bears were the lone team to conduct minicamp last week, and the Detroit Lions canceled theirs due to an early training camp start ahead of the July 31 Hall of Fame Game.
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These offseason practice sessions will give coaches an idea of where their players stand in advance of training camps, most of which kick off in late July. Players, meanwhile, will use these practices to further acclimate themselves to new systems and new teammates, or to knock off the rust built up over the offseason.
Here are some of the compelling storylines to follow as the NFL offseason work wraps up.
After leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers in the lurch for months, Rodgers decided late last week to sign with the team in hopes of capturing one last moment of Super Bowl glory. He'll take the field with his new teammates for the first time on Tuesday when Mike Tomlin's squad holds its three-day minicamp.
Rodgers has a good bit of catching up to do. He recently held a private throwing session with new No. 1 target DK Metcalf. But Rodgers has plenty of names, and a whole playbook, to memorize. It'll be interesting to see how much input he receives given that Arthur Smith runs a conservative offense that's rather different from the schemes Rodgers is used to.
Until now, all offseason workouts have fallen under the 'voluntary' category. Coaches would love for players to attend all of these sessions, but they can't do anything about absences. Now the sessions are mandatory, and this is where players who are unhappy with their contract situations will have their wills tested. Stay away to try to maximize leverage and further drive home the point that they deserve resolutions, or show up and display a commitment to teammates while waiting for stubborn owners to open up the checkbook?
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook and Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin are among the biggest names who skipped OTAs while they await long-term extensions.
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Parsons said on social media last week that he hasn't missed a minicamp in four years and doesn't intend to miss this year's, either. He expressed a commitment to his teammates and desire to learn the Cowboys' new defensive playbook, putting the ball in Jerry Jones' court on when a deal will get done.
The Minnesota Vikings have pledged loyalty to McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick, who missed his entire rookie season while rehabbing from a torn meniscus suffered during the preseason. Rodgers wanted to continue his career with the Vikings, but after extensive deliberations, Minnesota opted to proceed with McCarthy as its quarterback.
The Michigan product has spent these offseason practices working his way back into a flow and, thus far, has impressed teammates with his leadership skills. McCarthy hasn't been perfect, but coach Kevin O'Connell dismissed any McCarthy hiccups, calling this the learning stage. If McCarthy emerges from the offseason unscathed, he should remain the starter for Week 1.
Rodgers' deal with the Steelers means Cousins' chances for an Atlanta exit dwindled even further. Last offseason, he left the Vikings in free agency to sign with the Falcons for $180 million over four seasons, despite coming off a torn Achilles tendon suffered in 2023. But the Falcons also drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round last year. In Week 16, with Cousins struggling, they benched him, and turned the team over to the rookie.
Penix remains the Falcons' guy, leaving Cousins in an awkward position. The soon-to-be 37-year-old still views himself as a starter and would prefer a trade to a team in need of one. He skipped OTAs, and it remains to be seen if he will attend minicamp. The Falcons are receptive to trading Cousins for the right price, but for now, they have him penciled in as their backup QB. That's valuable in their eyes, given Penix's inexperience and college injury history.
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We've already seen some flashes of things to come from 2025 No. 2 pick Travis Hunter. While playing cornerback at OTAs, the two-way Colorado product delivered a jaw-dropping play that went viral on social media. Minicamp will probably lend itself to more early highlight opportunities for the Jaguars' shiny new toy.
Bro is a unicorn 🦄@TravisHunterJr | @Dream_Finders
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) June 3, 2025
Meanwhile, No. 1 pick Cam Ward continues to learn the Tennessee Titans' offense in hopes of locking up the starting quarterback job and turning that franchise around. Another pair of top-10 picks with lofty expectations — Giants linebacker Abdul Carter and Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty — also have an opportunity to build on some promising first impressions.
Most teams have their quarterback situations at least close to settled. But a few teams remain in evaluation mode as offseason workouts wind down.
The Cleveland Browns have the most crowded quarterback room, with veteran Joe Flacco aiming to fend off Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders for the starting job. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, Derek Carr's retirement dealt the Saints a wave of uncertainty. Will second-year pro Spencer Rattler win the job, or will 2025 second-rounder Tyler Shough edge him out? Indianapolis could be in for a change after bringing in Daniel Jones to compete with 2023 first-rounder Anthony Richardson. Richardson was expected to have the leg up on the job, but now he has another shoulder injury. That could open the door for Jones — the Giants castoff — to overtake the physically gifted yet inconsistent Richardson for the starting gig.
(Top photos of Cousins and Micah Parsons: Ethan Miller and Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)