INDIANAPOLIS – JT Tuimoloau stands alone.
The defensive end out of Ohio State – a second-round pick and No. 45 overall – is the lone unsigned member of the Indianapolis Colts’ eight-player draft class.
That wasn’t an issue in May as the other seven fell into place – from first-round tight end Tyler Warren to seventh-round safety Hunter Wohler – and really isn’t any cause for concern this week.
If unchanged, Tuimoloau’s unsigned status becomes an issue next week.
Rookies report Monday to Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield for the start of training camp. The rest of the team reconvenes on Tuesday with the first practice Wednesday morning.
The caveat: Only players under contract are allowed to report.
Under the league’s rookie wage scale, Tuimoloau is due a four-year, $9.942 million contract that includes a $3.87 million signing bonus, according to overthecap.com.
In the ever-morphing NFL, the latest development involves second-round draft picks and how much of their four-year contracts they’re able to guarantee.
Players are digging in their heels and seeking fully guaranteed rookie contracts. Only two of 32 second-round picks have signed as camps begin opening across the landscape: Cleveland linebacker Carson Schwesinger (No. 33 overall) and Houston wide receiver Jayden Higgins (No. 34).
Each broke the mold and signed fully guaranteed contracts, firsts for second-round picks. That’s $11.8 million for Schwesinger and $11.7 million for Higgins.
Under the rules guiding draft picks in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, contracts for first-round picks are totally guaranteed. That means Warren gets every bit of his $20.96 million.
Second-round picks have had the first two years of their four-year deals guaranteed, but that’s changing.
The Colts began guaranteeing a portion of the third-year base salary of cornerback JuJu Brents’ $8.196 million rookie contract in 2023. He was selected with the 13th pick in round 2 and had 72.9% of his deal guaranteed.
Last year, they cemented 65% of AD Mitchell’s $7.386 million deal by guaranteeing roughly half of his 2026 base salary. Mitchell was taken with the 20th pick in round 2.
There are parameters for a possible Tuimoloau resolution, as long as this year’s second-rounders aren’t committed to showing strength in numbers and standing their ground.
The Green Bay Packers selected linebacker Edgerrin Cooper No. 45 overall and guaranteed 76% of his contract: $6.568 million of $8.598 million.
Those guidelines are moot if the 30 unsigned second-round picks have taken a 100%-or-else stance.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.