All first-round – Seven weeks and one day after round one, 30 of 32 first-round picks have signed. The only unsigned players are quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza (first overall) and Ty Simpson (13th). Their deals hinge on cash-flow timing for signing bonuses, how guarantees can be
Seven weeks and one day after round one of the 2026 draft, the signing pace is almost completely done. Thirty of the 32 players selected in the first round have signed contracts—leaving only two open spots.
Those two spots belong to quarterbacks. Fernando Mendoza, taken first overall, is unsigned. Ty Simpson, drafted 13th, is also still waiting on his contract.
The context matters. Before the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement put a rookie wage scale in place—using slotted contracts based on selection position—teams and top picks often moved faster than the draft itself. Now, the expectation is that deals get done on a clearer path, with fewer surprises in what can be negotiated.
That’s part of why the holdouts stand out. There isn’t much to bargain for once the structure is already set. The largest points tend to be practical and legal: when the full signing bonus gets paid, the mechanism for voiding guarantees, and whether the guarantees will include offset language.
What isn’t clear is why Mendoza and Simpson haven’t signed already. The obvious leverage is the one veteran holdouts almost never use—refusing to participate in the offseason program until the contract is in place. The logic is simple: if the deal is the problem, force the issue by not showing up. The piece of it that feels most conspicuous is that, frankly, it’s an approach all draft picks could take.
Still, the broader market behavior here points the other way. Holdouts have become rare, and both Mendoza and Simpson are likely to sign before training camp opens. But the league doesn’t treat “likely” as “done.” Until each contract is actually signed, the situation remains unsettled.
And with every first-round pick accounted for except its two quarterbacks, that gap is hard to ignore. Right now, it isn’t about whether Mendoza and Simpson will eventually ink their deals—it’s about how long they can wait before the rest of round-one certainty fully closes.
Fernando Mendoza Ty Simpson 2026 draft first-round picks signing bonuses rookie wage scale NFL contracts training camp
So they’re just not signing because… money timing? Seems kinda dumb tbh.
I don’t get it, if they got drafted they should sign right away. These dudes always act like it’s a hostage situation.
Mendoza first overall not signing yet sounds like he’s about to pull a Cousins move or something. Like waiting changes guarantees and then suddenly he’s the “problem” QB. But idk, I barely read it.
This CBA stuff is confusing. They keep saying “slotted contracts” like it fixes everything, but then somehow there’s still holdouts? Also why would they even have an offseason program if the contract isn’t signed yet… seems backwards. I guess it’s just about signing bonus cash flow and guarantees with offset language, whatever that means, but it still feels shady.