After an offseason that saw wide receivers cash in like never before, three of the league’s top young wideouts are apparently standing their ground for new deals.
Deebo Samuel, Terry McLaurin and AJ Brown aren’t expected to participate in any on-field work during their teams offseason programs this week.
Players – Jamal Adams among them – have taken the step in recent years to avoid being fined for missing workouts by attending the sessions but not participating on the field.
That would mean Brown, McLaurin and Samuel could make a strong statement to their teams without risking a financial impact.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news about Brown, McLauren and Samuel early Monday.
The move isn’t a big surprise.
Brown and Samuel particularly have sent out signals they are frustrated with their deals over the past month, particularly through social media.
The young stars all have a year remaining on their rookie deals, which means that with the Franchise Tag, teams could easily keep them on board for at least two more years.
But that was before players like Christian Kirk signed deals paying them nearly $20 million annually and DaVante Adams reset the market with a contract worth up to $142.5 million and an average of $28 million.
The teams have maintained they want to keep the players, signaling they are rebuffing any offers.
