Trey Hendrickson Expresses Contract Concerns with Bengals

Comments from Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson suggest that ongoing contract negotiations may not be progressing as he had hoped.

Hendrickson is in the final year of his current deal, which will pay him $15.8 million. He has expressed his desire for an extension, echoing sentiments from last season, and mentioned that team management had indicated a new deal could happen if his performance remained strong.

“To have my remaining years on the contract… we can get into that real fast,” Hendrickson noted. “I’ve talked about long-term contracts, guaranteed money—things like that have been part of our discussions. I’ve been fortunate to have my agent on this.”

“So basically, it’s about focusing on this year. They reiterated this at the combine. It’s just about keeping the lines open. I’ve had the same mobile number since high school. Communication with my agent has always been clear, and we’re ready to listen if they have something to discuss,” he added.

Hendrickson led the league with 17.5 sacks last season, showcasing his value on the field.

However, in a recent statement to ESPN, he expressed increasing frustration with the team’s management.

“There’s been no communication between my camp and the organization since the draft,” he said. “The pre-draft offers didn’t align with the vision we talked about. I was assured that if I maintained my performance, we would revisit things this offseason. The coaching staff is aware of our previous discussions.”

“Instead of fostering a collaborative environment to bring me back, they’ve ceased communication altogether. I’ve been hoping for a resolution but it’s hard when there’s a clear lack of interest in finding common ground,” he added.

The Bengals recently drafted edge defender Shemmer Stewart from Texas A&M with the 17th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Cincinnati has secured new contracts with wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins this offseason, but the approach with Hendrickson seems different. The team allowed him to seek a deal earlier in the offseason, which appears to have been more of a way to assess his value rather than advance negotiations. Given the lack of a contract agreement and Hendrickson’s latest comments, it feels like they might be heading toward a standoff.

It seems a holdout could be on the horizon.