Trey Hendrickson, Bengals Reportedly 'Not Close' in Contract Talks, Per NFL Insider

As one might've surmised from the player's recent comments, the Cincinnati Bengals and defensive end Trey Hendrickson are "not close" as they negotiate a long-term extension, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini.

Russini reported Monday on her Scoop City podcast that "I hear I continue to hear that Cincinnati wants to make something work with Trey." She theorized there's still a sizable gap between the two sides.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported in March the Bengals allowed Hendrickson's representatives to explore his trade market with the 2024 All-Pro wanting a new contract.

Not only has a trade obviously failed to materialize, it also sounds like Cincy has done little to accommodate Hendrickson's financial demands.

During an April appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, the NFL sack leader pushed back on an assertion by Bengals executive Katie Blackburn that he was the reason for the protracted negotiations. He was even more clear about his frustrations Monday in a statement to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

"No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post-draft," he said. "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."

Money talks.

The Bengals and wide receiver Tee Higgins appeared to be at a serious crossroads when they applied the franchise tag to him for the second straight offseason. Then he wound up signing a four-year, $115 million extension.

If Cincinnati tabled a multiyear deal worth $30 million or more annually to Hendrickson, it's probably safe to assume he'd sign it. That would nearly double his current earnings for 2025.

Going to that number will be tough for the Bengals, though, when Higgins, fellow wideout Ja'Marr Chase and quarterback Joe Burrow combine to make $124 million a year.

The team is top-heavy enough as is, with people wondering whether it's already spending too much on its receiver room. As good as Hendrickson is, the money he'd make on a market-level salary might be better utilized spread across multiple positions.

Therein lies the dilemma and the reason why this situation may not be resolved anytime soon.