When Players Go AWOL: A look back at some memorable NFL holdouts

The summer months give NFL teams and players the time to get their ducks in a row before the season begins. However, certain players enter the summer unhappy with their current contract situation. Running back Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants is one of those players currently. We’ll take a look at a few players who took matters into their own hands by holding out.

There was no questioning the amount of talent Bell brought to the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a one-man offense, churning out yards on the ground while also being sure-handed in the passing game. As such, Bell wanted to be paid like a star running back and wide receiver. He missed the entire 2018 season to secure a payday, but his career was never the same after that.

Running backs tend to be popular holdout candidates since their careers tend be shorter on average than other positions’. Gordon played hardball with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019 with that backdrop, and missed four regular season games. Los Angeles stuck to their guns, and Gordon signed with the division-rival Denver Broncos ahead of the 2020 campaign.

The Dallas Cowboys could’ve had a problem on their hands in 1993, as Smith decided to holdout of the first two regular season games. Had they not kept one of the best runners in the game in-house, it’s possible that their success in the 1990’s would have been muted. Smith decided to report back to the team after Dallas made him the highest paid back in the NFL.

When an organization takes a player with the second overall pick in the draft, they expect to have him as a cornerstone for years to come. The Indianapolis Colts drafted Bennett there in 1987, but he never played a game for the franchise. Instead, he was traded to the Buffalo Bills after three months of holding out.

There was some animosity between Jackson and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the 1986 NFL Draft. Jackson thought the Bucs were trying to shadily ruin his chances of being a two-sport athlete. Tampa Bay selected him first overall that year, but Jackson made up his mind that he’d never play for them. He wound up playing for the Los Angeles Raiders instead the following year.

Dickerson was so great so early that his contract was a point of contention almost immediately. He led the NFL in rushing during his first two seasons, and sat out the first two games of the 1985 campaign(his third in the league) demanding more money. The Los Angeles Rams gave it to him, and he continued to produce at a remarkable clip.

Williams will go down as one of the best tackles to ever play in the NFL, but he took a stand against the then-named Washington Redskins in 2019. He didn’t join the team until late October, but came out with some rough accusations against the franchise. In addition to wanting more money, Williams claimed that the team misdiagnosed a cancerous growth on his body.

Despite the warm and fuzzy feelings that existed between Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Elliott, there was once a time where things got a little hairy. Elliott was looking to cash in on his massive workload and production in 2019, and an episode of brinksmanship broke out. Ultimately the two sides were able to agree to a deal just before the season began.