Several key players might skip mandatory minicamp this week - ESPN

At this point in the NFL offseason, we know most of the big names who have missed OTAs, and (for the most part) what they're angling for. Some want to get paid, some want a trade, but for some the motives are still a mystery.

Even amid all the tumultuous news, there are still surprising omissions for OTAs that could have a big impact on teams — and potentially lead to fines if the players miss mandatory minicamp starting Tuesday (save for the Chicago Bears, who held their minicamp last week with no holdouts). According to the NFL collective bargaining agreement, players are subject to a $17,462 fine if they miss one day of mandatory minicamp, then a $34,925 fine if they miss a second day. If a player misses the third and final day, the fine is $52,381.

But players are circumventing those fines by showing up for practices and simply not participating.

Here's the latest our NFL Nation reporters have been hearing about OTA absences and what to expect at minicamp.

Jump to a player:
Cousins | Cook | Hendrickson
Stewart | Parsons | Alexander
Jenkins | Ramsey | Smith | Watt | Metcalf
Reddick | Lattimore | McLaurin | Tunsil

Status: Present at a few OTAs; didn't practice

Cousins wants to be a starting quarterback this season. That isn't going to happen in Atlanta, where Michael Penix Jr. replaced him as the starter last season.

Cousins' preference is to be released, but the Falcons won't do that. He's owed $27.5 million in 2025 whether he's on the roster or cut, and the organization would rather have him as a backup than be saddled with dead money. Atlanta would love to explore a trade, but only if another team picks up a significant chunk of that guaranteed money, which includes a $10 million bonus in 2026. Cousins also has a