Four NFL players hold out from training camp over contracts
Bijan Robinson (Falcons RB), Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions RB), Vita Vea (Buccaneers DT), and Tuli Tuipulotu (Chargers OLB) are holding in at 2026 training camp seeking contract extensions or trades. Robinson and Gibbs are in their second day of holdout as of July 31, while teams prepare contingency plans.
The 2026 NFL preseason kicks off with the Pro Football Hall of Game on Aug. 6, followed by three weeks of preseason action, according to ESPN. Four players are currently holding out from training camp as negotiations stall: Bijan Robinson (Falcons RB), Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions RB), Vita Vea (Buccaneers DT), and Tuli Tuipulotu (Chargers OLB).
Jahmyr Gibbs missed his second straight day of practice Thursday, according to ESPN. Lions coach Dan Campbell said Gibbs "had a little bit of a back" issue after completing a conditioning test Wednesday, per ESPN's reporting. Campbell said he is "not even sweating it" regarding the hold-in, as both sides are working to secure a long-term deal, according to ESPN.
Bijan Robinson was a hold-in for a second straight practice Thursday, present on the field in a Falcons jersey but without helmet or cleats, chatting with teammates and in good spirits, per ESPN. The Falcons and Robinson have not commented on the hold-in; Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski is likely to address it Friday morning, according to ESPN's reporting.
Vita Vea is holding in and requesting a trade, according to ESPN. Vea was on the sidelines during Wednesday's first training camp practice but was not on the practice field Thursday. Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Vea tweaked his back in the team's conditioning test Tuesday and was getting treatment, per ESPN's reporting. Vea participated in an interview on the "Up and Adams Show" but did not discuss his contract, according to ESPN. Vea is set to earn $17 million this season, but none of it is guaranteed, along with a per-game roster bonus capped at $1 million total, per ESPN. Bowles said the team is preparing for the season as if Vea will play.
Tuli Tuipulotu is holding in and seeking a new contract, missing practice Thursday for the second straight day amid ongoing negotiations, according to ESPN. Tuipulotu wore a helmet and jersey Thursday and went through individual drills before working off to the side with a trainer, per ESPN's reporting. On Wednesday, he was in a T-shirt and shorts and worked off to the side with a trainer.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave signed a four-year extension, resolving his minor hold-in, according to ESPN. The brief does not specify the contract terms Gibbs, Robinson, or Tuipulotu are seeking, nor does it detail the current progress in negotiations.
Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson each missed their second consecutive practice on Thursday, July 31, holding in while seeking new contract terms.
Four holdouts enter the final week before the Aug. 6 preseason kickoff, with Gibbs and Robinson in their second day and Vea managing a back issue off the field. Watch whether negotiations accelerate before the Hall of Game game, and whether Vea's conditioning test injury creates a separate timeline from his trade request.
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Single-source report. As published, only ESPN had reported this development. No independent outlet had corroborated it.
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