The Indianapolis Colts have signed most of their 2025 NFL Draft class already , with the only draft pick yet to sign his rookie contract being Ohio State edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau.
The Colts aren't alone in waiting to sign their second-round pick; all but two NFL teams are in the same boat. The reason for this is because of an unprecedented decision by the Colts' AFC South rivals, the Houston Texans.
Colts may have no choice but to give JT Tuimoloau a fully guaranteed contract
Most teams have now completed their mandatory minicamps across the NFL, and still, there hasn't been any more movement on signing second-round picks. The Texans elected to give Jayden Higgins the first-ever fully guaranteed contract for a second-round pick, and the impact that decision has had on nearly the entire league. Shortly after the Texans announced the signing of Higgins, the Cleveland Browns followed suit by giving Carson Schwesinger a fully guaranteed contract as well. Schwesinger is the only player drafted before Higgins in the second round.
The rest of the league, though, still waits to sign their second-round picks. Luckily for the Colts, while Tuimoloau remains unsigned, he has continued to be a full participant throughout the offseason. With training camp roughly six weeks away, though, this is an issue that the Colts and the rest of the league need to figure out. And while it's never been done before this season, the Texans' decision to give a second-round pick a fully guaranteed contract probably backs the rest of the league into a corner. My guess is that we will see the majority of these second-round draft picks given fully guaranteed contracts to get them to sign on the dotted line. And if that happens, this will probably become the norm going forward for second-round picks. With Tuimoloau probably in line to be a key reserve for the Colts this season, getting this taken care of sooner rather than later would be in both parties' best interest.
