Trey Hendrickson, Bengals Reportedly 'Not Any Closer' in Contract Talks

The Cincinnati Bengals are "not any closer to a deal" since resuming contract talks with Trey Hendrickson, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter said the Bengals want Hendrickson to take a "low deal, like, one year" in a Wednesday appearance on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show.

"The Bengals would like a shorter deal. Hendrickson would like a longer deal. And they can't even find common ground on the length of the deal right now," Schefter said.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday that the Bengals and Hendrickson had resumed negotiations after contract talks stalled earlier this offseason.

Hendrickson is currently signed for one more season at a cap hit of $18.7 million.

After saying he would not play for the Bengals on that deal next season, Hendrickson told reporters in May that he had received a text from Bengals coach Zac Taylor warning him he would be fined if he missed the team's mandatory June minicamp.

That text, Hendrickson said, was what led him to share a statement with Schefter on May 12 in which he said "no communication has taken place between my camp and the organization" since the 2025 NFL draft wrapped up on April 26.

"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... 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," Hendrickson wrote.

Hendrickson then stayed away from minicamp, per Schefter. That absence put him at risk of almost $105,000 in fines, per ESPN's Ben Baby.

The 2024 NFL sacks leader has been seeking a long-term contract since at least last summer, when the Bengals reportedly rejected both his request for a trade and his request for a long-term extension ahead of the 2024 season.

Hendrickson asked for a trade again this offseason, a request the Bengals reportedly granted in March, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

Baby reported that no teams have "offered the desired compensation" to the Bengals, leaving Hendrickson still with Cincinnati.

In addition to Myles Garrett, who reset the market for defensive players with the $40 million AAV contract he signed with the Cleveland Browns earlier this offseason, there are four NFL pass-rushers currently earning $34 million or more per season.

Hendrickson wants to be in that group, and he wants "long-term security" with a deal longer than one or two years, according to a previous report from Baby.

The Bengals currently have $31.9 million in projected cap space for next season, per Over the Cap. Whether or not they use that room to bring Hendrickson back could depend on their willingness to offer multiple years to a player who is set to turn 31 in December.