Cincinnati – If he stepped onto the Cincinnati Bengals field in 2025, Trey Hendrickson will need a new contract.
The All-Pro finishes defensively met with reporters on Tuesday during the team’s offseason training and spoke at length about the current contract dispute with the team. Hendrickson is in the final year of his current contract, but is seeking a long-term contract.
Wearing a golf cap and a Blue Polo T-shirt, Hendrickson met with reporters for over 20 minutes to deal with the situation, ending the team’s voluntary workout.
The relationship between Cincinnati’s Star Edge Rush and the front office reached its boiling point on Monday. Bengals coach Zach Taylor texted him Monday, according to Hendrickson.
This led Hendrickson to express his aspect of the situation.
“We tried to keep it as personal as possible, but at some point in this process it becomes personal,” Hendrickson said. “If you were sent 30 days before the forced camp, or some days or some days, and I wouldn’t show up, I would suggest the fact that something won’t be accomplished in that time frame.”
Hendrickson, 30, said a message from Taylor urged ESPN’s Adam Shefater on Monday to make a statement, saying Hendrickson rebutted a report that the Bengalis had been in touch with him since the April NFL Draft.
Four-time Pro Bowlers said business negotiations have begun to begin making personal shifts over the past week.
“And if every relationship lacks communication, if it’s a business or personal relationship, the lack of communication leads to hostility, which leaves my story alone for me, who don’t have a clear direction,” Hendrickson said.
Since joining Cincinnati as a free agent in 2021, Hendrickson has become one of the best players in the league. Last season he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks and along with Ja’marr Chase helped Cincinnati break the nine-year drought of not making an all-pro choice.
In March, the Bengals recognized Hendrickson’s ability to seek trade. On Tuesday, he said he wanted to clear the misconception that there was a pre-determined return that Hendrickson believed could be acquired in the transaction.
“There’s no way to know that,” Hendrickson said. “We were told what they were looking for, and if it was a pick in the first round of five, I would have agreed.”
Hendrickson said he is pushing for short-term contracts while the team maintains its stance of wanting long-term security in Cincinnati.
There were also some questions about why Hendrickson has been continuing to seek action on his deal. In 2023, Hendrickson signed a one-year extension in a four-year, $60 million deal he originally signed with the team. In his final offseason, he requested a long-term contract before finally taking part in offseason training, and then requested a deal.
Hendrickson questioned his ability to explore in free agency if the original deal he signed in 2021 expired and he didn’t sign an extension.
“If I didn’t make that deal, I think we’d be talking about the 30-year-old franchise, right?” Hendrickson said. “That’s the magic number.”
As things stand, Hendrickson is set to make $15.8 million on base salary this season. Hendrickson pointed out how much the market has changed over the past 12 months, particularly in light of Cleveland Browns star Miles Garrett resetting the market this offseason with an average annual contract extension of $40 million.
What happened this week escalated tensions between Hendrickson and the front office, which he simmered throughout the offseason. In recent months, the native Floridian has made exceptions to comments made by the front office at a league event about his status with the team.
“There’s an unprovoked shark attack, there’s an unprovoked shark attack,” Hendrickson said.
In his comments on Tuesday, the Cincinnati star defender is no longer looking to step on the water while trying to find a long-term deal.
Hendrickson provided praise for the franchise, and Taylor, the team’s sixth year coach, told him he was honest with him throughout the process. And when it comes to his relationship with Cincinnati decision makers, Hendrickson believes it could be saved. He pointed to Garrett. Garrett later called for trade before signing an extension with the Browns.
“That relationship will be repaired over time,” Hendrickson said. “It’s the same, and this is an unpleasant business aspect that unfortunately has had to deal with over the past few years.
“And frankly, I think we all spent.”
