Bengals' Trey Hendrickson Reportedly 'Extremely Dug In' Amid Contract Talks

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson remains resolute in his desire to get a new contract, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"If no deal occurs, I've spoken to several people who believe Hendrickson very well might follow through on his promise to miss games or even the season," Fowler reported Thursday. "'He's extremely dug in,' a source said."

Hendrickson also pushed for a revised deal with the Bengals last offseason. Despite not getting one, he appeared in all 17 games and led the NFL in sacks (17.5).

Based on comments he made to ESPN's Ben Baby last November, a holdout into the start of the regular season wasn't something he seriously considered.

"You only have one name," Hendrickson said. "You can have up and down years, but protecting yourself as in being on time, being a crucial part of a defense, raising your game, being a good teammate, those are things that you carry on with forever."

The situation is a little different now.

Hendrickson is a year older, turning 30 in December. His on-field value continued to climb after he earned his first All-Pro nod. And the market for elite edge-rushers has climbed even higher with Myles Garrett, Danielle Hunter and Maxx Crosby all earning more than $35 million annually. Hendrickson's $15.8 million base salary for 2025 looks paltry by comparison.

Complicating matters from Cincinnati's perspective is that Hendrickson "not only wants proper market value, but he wants long-term security," per Fowler.

Garrett and Crosby are both younger, while Hunter's extension with the Houston Texans only added one more year to his previous contract.

Especially when the Bengals just handed massive payouts to wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, they have to be careful about managing their payroll beyond 2025.

Fowler spoke to an NFC executive who believes Cincy can re-sign Hendrickson for north of $30 million per year "while covering themselves."

The Bengals' season opener is still a few months away, so it's too early to panic. Things may become awkward if we're in August without a breakthrough at the negotiating table.