Trey Hendrickson, Bengals Contract Talks Reportedly at 'Stalemate' amid NFL Rumors

Cincinnati Bengals star defensive end Trey Hendrickson has yet to receive the long-term extension he's been seeking this offseason, and one insider painted a bleak outlook for his contract negotiations.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Wednesday that "there's no update" with Hendrickson's contract situation, describing the current status of his negotiations as "a stalemate."

Hendrickson received permission to seek a trade earlier this offseason, but there hasn't been much progress on identifying a team that would acquire him and reward him with a new deal. He's set to make a base salary of $16 million in the final year of his current contract, and Fowler noted that he's remaining steadfast in his belief that he deserves a raise.

"My read on the situation is that Hendrickson is convicted enough to stay away from the team, having no interest in playing on his scheduled $16 million salary in 2025," Fowler stated. "Right now this is a waiting game."

The Bengals used the No. 17 pick in last month's draft to select Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart, potentially preparing for life without Hendrickson. However, replacing a player who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024 will be no small task.

The Bengals managed to retain their key offensive players by securing new deals for wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and tight end Mike Gesicki. While there have been indications that they want to hold onto Hendrickson to keep their defense intact, it sounds like he simply may be too expensive to keep.

Cincinnati opened the voluntary portion of its offseason program last month and scheduled its mandatory minicamp for June 10-12. However, it appears that Hendrickson won't show up until progress is made toward his new deal.