The unsigned dominoes might start to fall here shortly. That's good news for Kansas City Chiefs fans wondering if a very important rookie was going to miss time in training camp or not.
At the present time, Chiefs defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, the team's second-round choice out of Tennessee in this year's draft, is the only unsigned member of the team's rookie haul. Because of this, Norman-Lott would not be able to participate in training camp due to the current collective bargaining agreement.
While Norman-Lott was present at rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory camp, the rules change entering the regular season—leaving him on the sidelines until a contract is official.
Second-round picks are starting to sign, which is good news for the Chiefs and Norman-Lott.
Fortunately, that contract should be coming shortly, an important development in ensuring Norman-Lott is as ready as possible for the regular season.
For weeks, the situation has been waiting for a crack in the dam. To explain, 30 of 32 second-round picks remained unsigned from the draft through mid-July due to issues with the amount of guaranteed money. All rookie contracts are slotted (already set in their terms ahead of time by the CBA) with slight increases in base pay and potential guarantees, but some negotiations altered those rules in 2025.
Every first-round pick receives a fully guaranteed deal, but the Houston Texans extended those benefits into the second round this year when they gave the same to Jayden Higgins, a wideout taken at No. 34 overall. Since linebacker Carson Schwesinger was the first pick in the round at No. 33, the Cleveland Browns provided the same privileges to him. Suddenly, every second-round pick around them had reason to expect more.
Further complicating the matter was the fact that New Orleans Saints pick Tyler Shough, taken at No. 40 overall, could very well be the starting quarterback. Rumors have him wanting a fully guaranteed deal that far down the draft order. Instead of just hoping for a greater guaranteed amount, suddenly everything was held up until another deal was reached.
On Wednesday, a shift occurred. The San Francisco 49ers reached an agreement with Alfred Collins, a defensive tackle chosen at No. 43 overall. This is important for the Chiefs because it's a choice after Shough and a defensive tackle. Collins got an 88 percent guaranteed rate, per ESPN reporter Adam Schefter.
There could be a slight complication, knowing that Norman-Lott was taken 20 picks later, but as mentioned, the dominoes should start to fall. One deal often leads to another, and every team is going to want their players in camp as soon as possible.
For the Chiefs, Norman-Lott is a vital piece for the defensive line going forward. Not only did he come into the draft as perhaps the most disruptive interior lineman available, but he has the potential to provide the first real relief for Chris Jones in years. The Chiefs are far too dependent on Jones to generate a successful pass rush, and that takes a toll down after down. Keeping Jones fresh into the postseason and late into games is going to make a major difference.
The good news is that the Chiefs won't report to St. Joseph for training camp until July 21, which should give the front office enough time to finalize a deal.