Former Buffalo Bills All-Pro cornerback Taron Johnson has not taken the field for the Las Vegas Raiders during voluntary OTA workouts, and there is mounting concern that the absence could escalate into a summer holdout over his contract situation.
Johnson, acquired from the Buffalo Bills in a March trade, is seeking guaranteed protection on the final two years of his deal before risking another injury in Las Vegas, according to multiple reports.
Taron Johnson’s Contract Situation With the Las Vegas Raiders
“Per sources: CB Taron Johnson’s absence at Raiders voluntary offseason workouts is contract related,” Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post reported on social media. “The $18M he’s on the books for in ’26 & ’27 is non guaranteed. Makes sense he’s looking for more security.”
According to Over The Cap, Johnson carries an $8.67 million cap charge in 2026 and a $10.04 million cap charge in 2027, but only $1.175 million of that entire two-year package is fully guaranteed. Johnson does not appear to be demanding more money, just more guaranteed money. He wants contractual protection against being cut the moment he absorbs another injury with a franchise that traded only a sixth-round pick to acquire him.
Johnson dealt with significant injury trouble the last two seasons in Buffalo, suiting up for just 12 games in 2024 and 13 in 2025. The Bills, moving in a new defensive direction after firing coach Sean McDermott, were willing to move him for late-round draft capital.
Johnson earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023, the same season he appeared in all 17 regular-season games and helped Buffalo capture the AFC East title. And it was Johnson who authored one of the franchise’s signature postseason moments, a 102-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the January 2021 divisional-round victory.
Raiders’ Draft Pick Could Factor Into Johnson Talks
The Raiders hold the leverage here. Las Vegas surrendered almost nothing to land Johnson, meaning the team could release him with minimal financial consequence if talks deteriorate. His dead money exposure in a post-June 1 cut scenario is just $1.2 million, per Over The Cap data.
The team also drafted a player capable of absorbing Johnson’s slot responsibilities. Las Vegas selected Treydan Stukes, a versatile nickel-safety hybrid out of Arizona, with the No. 38 overall pick in this year’s draft, as Daniel Harms of Bleacher Report noted. Stukes logged the bulk of his college snaps in the slot over his final three seasons with the Wildcats, a credential that gives Las Vegas a credible fallback if the Johnson situation drags past June.
Voluntary workouts carry no financial penalty for absences. That changes when mandatory minicamp opens in June. At that point, Johnson faces daily fines for every session he misses, a complication that heightens the pressure on both sides to find a resolution before the stakes get higher, according to Moe Moton of Bleacher Report.
For now, the Raiders are running OTA sessions without one of their projected starters in the secondary. Whether Johnson reports for mandatory minicamp in June, or pushes the standoff deeper into the summer, will shed more light on how far both sides are willing to take this.
Former Bills All-Pro Taron Johnson May Hold Out Over Raiders Contract