All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson’s contract dilemma with the Cincinnati Bengals seems to have taken a positive turn, with both sides reportedly resuming discussions this weekend.
Hendrickson, who led the NFL in sacks last season with 17.5, voiced his displeasure over his contract situation all offseason. He has one year remaining on his current deal and is owed $16 million. He didn’t participate in any of the Bengals’ offseason, skipping out on the team’s mandatory minicamp practices this past week and risking being fined up to roughly $105,000 as a result.
The only time Hendrickson was seen for Cincinnati’s offseason program was during voluntary workouts in May, when he expressed his disappointment with how the Bengals were handling contract talks.
“We’ve tried to keep it the least amount personal as possible, but at some point in this process it becomes personal,” Hendrickson told reporters on May 13. “Being sent 30 days before mandatory camp, or how many ever days it is, that if I don’t show up, I will be fined, alludes to the fact that something won’t get done in that time frame.
“The lack of communication post draft made it imminently clear to my party — meaning my wife, my son and my agent, a small group of people — that this might not work out.”
The 30-year-old Hendrickson has been a big reason for the Bengals’ sudden rise in recent years. After signing a four-year, $60 million deal to join the Bengals in free agency during the 2021 offseason, Hendrickson has been named a Pro Bowler in each of the last four seasons. He has recorded at least 14.0 sacks in three of his first four seasons in Cincinnati, recording 56.0 total sacks since joining the Bengals.
Additionally, Hendrickson has also been good at generating pressure. He had 83 pressures and was second in pass rush win rate last season (24%). He’s also finished in the top 10 in pass rush win rate among edge rushers in all four years he’s been with the Bengals.
That’s why Bengals head coach Zac Taylor expressed a desire for Hendrickson to remain in Cincinnati for the long haul when he was asked about his importance to the team during minicamp.
“I think anytime you have great players, you want them to be around,” Taylor said. “That’s just a decision he’s got going on right now, and we’ll keep focusing on the guys that are here.”
Trey Hendrickson has statistically been among one of the NFL’s best pass rushers since he joined the Bengals in 2021. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Prior to the developments in recent weeks, it was previously reported that the Bengals had allowed Hendrickson to discuss a possible trade and an extension with another team. But as the edge rusher market has exploded this offseason, Hendrickson remains without a deal. His $16 million salary for the 2025 season pales in comparison to the contracts that Myles Garrett (four years, $160 million), Danielle Hunter (one year, $35.6 million) and Maxx Crosby (three years, $106.5 million) have received this season.
The Bengals are also dealing with a contentious contract situation with edge rusher Shemar Stewart. Stewart, whom the Bengals selected with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, walked out of minicamp last week as he and the team have struggled to come to terms on a deal. He also didn’t participate in the Bengals’ offseason program as Cincinnati is reportedly seeking to add language to the contract that would void guaranteed money in future years.
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