Trey Hendrickson Says Bengals Haven't Discussed Contract Since NFL Draft amid Rumors

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson voiced his frustration with the state of negotiations — or lack thereof — on a long-term extension.

"No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post-draft," Hendrickson said to ESPN's Adam Schefter. "The offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level.

"Coaches are aware of these past conversations. Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating. I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that’s hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals."

To some extent, this resembles how the Bengals approached wide receiver Tee Higgins. They didn't have substantial negotiations with the veteran pass-catcher before applying the franchise tag to him, and he played out 2024 on the one-year tender.

The Bengals tagged Higgins again in March before finally striking a bargain on a four-year, $115 million extension.

There are some key distinctions with Hendrickson, though.

The NFL's reigning sack leader is four years older than Higgins, which is likely factoring in Cincinnati's calculations. At 31, Hendrickson is also older than a lot of the edge-rushers who have recently secured raises.

Thanks to the new deals they handed to Higgins and fellow wideout Ja'Marr Chase, the Bengals have to be more diligent about their long-term payroll commitments than they were last offseason, too.

The franchise has a well-earned reputation for being frugal. However, Cincinnati showed with Higgins, Chase and quarterback Joe Burrow it's willing to hand out big contracts for key contributors it values.

When a 9-8 finish exposed a number of flaws across the roster, the front office isn't necessarily wrong to question whether paying Hendrickson at market rate in 2025 and beyond is the best use of resources.

Hendrickson's exasperation is equally understandable. With a $15.8 million base salary, he's significantly underpaid at a time when elite sack artists are getting $30 million-plus annually.

The trouble for the All-Pro is he doesn't have much leverage, and having this play out in public changes little.

During an April appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Hendrickson made similar comments about how little he and the Bengals were talking. A month later, the situation remains the same.

The ball is firmly in Cincinnati's court unless Hendrickson is prepared to engage in a costly holdout or go all the way and retire. If the Bengals aren't receptive to trade offers and don't feel compelled to discuss an extension, then he's pretty much stuck.