Arizona Cardinals sign 2nd-round pick to a deal on eve of first practice
- Cardinals second-round draft pick Will Johnson signed his rookie contract on July 22.
- Rookies cannot participate in training camp without a signed contract.
On the eve of training camp, the Arizona Cardinals have signed their lone remaining unsigned draftee. Cornerback Will Johnson, their second-round pick out of Michigan, signed his rookie contract on July 22, ending a monthslong holdup.
Johnson was not alone within this class. By July 16, just two of the 32 second-round draft picks had signed their rookie deals.
Back in May, Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins — the 34th overall selection — became the first second-round pick in NFL history to receive a fully guaranteed contract. Typically, second-round picks get two or three years guaranteed — depending on their draft slot — with the final years of their four-year contracts only partially guaranteed.
But with training camp looming, teams and players suddenly faced a deadline to get deals done. While rookies can sign a waiver to participate in OTAs and minicamp without signed contracts, they must sign their deals to participate in training camp.
Now, Johnson will be able to participate in camp when the Cardinals report to Glendale. Their first training camp practice will take place July 23 behind closed doors before practices open up to fans on July 24.
The two remaining unsigned picks in this year’s draft are Bengals’ first-rounder Shemar Stewart and Browns’ second-rounder Quinshon Judkins. Stewart has been the subject of a high-profile holdout since the spring, while Judkins was arrested earlier in July on a domestic violence charge.