Trey Hendrickson Reportedly Will End Holdout, Still Not Close to New Bengals Contract

Trey Hendrickson reportedly is ending his holdout.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the star defensive end plans to report to the Cincinnati Bengals' camp on Wednesday. While he will be at camp, Schefter reported that Hendrickson and the Bengals are not "any closer to a new deal."

Schefter noted that by reporting to camp, Hendrickson will no longer be fined $50,000 per day. The move to go to Cincinnati could also help "jumpstart negotiations."

ESPN's Ben Baby reported that one source said Hendrickson's arrival at camp "serves as a good-faith gesture to spark negotiations with the team."

As Hendrickson looked for a new deal earlier this offseason, the Bengals initially permitted him to seek a trade to a team that would give him the contract he wanted. Less than a month later, however, Cincinnati walked back that offer and reportedly wasn't interested in trading him.

Since then, the two sides have been going back and forth on a new contract.

Hendrickson is set to make $15.8 million in 2025 on his current contract, though he said in May that he would not play this season on that deal.

Also in May, Hendrickson said he felt a long-term contract would be "a sign of mutual respect" and said he was "very disappointed with the communication." He also told reporters in May that Cincinnati had been pushing "pretty hard" for a shorter deal than he wanted.

Schefter reported last month that Hendrickson and the Bengals were "not any closer to a deal."

"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.

Bengals owner Mike Brown told reporters last week that he felt Cincinnati and Hendrickson were "in a good spot," but it's unclear if Hendrickson shares that sentiment.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Monday that the Bengals had hit a standstill in what they're willing to offer.

"I'm told there actually has been some progress on this deal over the last week or two in certain parts of it, but this is an issue of guaranteed money," Fowler said on SportsCenter. "Hendrickson wants a stronger guaranteed structure, particularly later in what should be a multi-year deal. In talking to people with the Bengals they feel like, 'Hey, we've probably relented as far as we can go.' So this is a classic stare-off right now and it's time to buckle up."

With star pass rushers like Mylres Garrett, T.J. Watt and Maxx Crosby resetting the market with massive extensions this offseason, Hendrickson, who led the league in sacks a year ago, is certainly worth more than his current deal.

Whether the Bengals will eventually give him a new deal remains to be seen, but for now, he'll be a hold-in rather than a holdout.