Photo Credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson says he won’t take the field in 2025 unless the team gives him a new contract.
Hendrickson, a four-time Pro Bowler and one of the NFL’s top pass rushers, met with reporters on Tuesday during the team’s offseason workouts. He made it clear that he’s not happy with his current contract situation and wants a long-term deal.
The 30-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and spoke for more than 20 minutes with the media. Wearing a blue polo and a golf cap, Hendrickson explained how talks with the Bengals have taken a turn.
Tension Grows After Text From Zac Taylor
According to Hendrickson, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor texted him on Monday, saying he would be fined if he misses the team’s mandatory minicamp in four weeks. That message pushed Hendrickson to speak publicly.
“We’ve tried to keep it as least amount as personal as possible, but at some point in this process it’s becomes personal,” Hendrickson said. “Being sent 30 days before mandatory camp, or how many ever days it is, that if I don’t show up I will be fined alludes to the fact that something won’t get done in that time frame.”
After receiving that text, Hendrickson gave a statement to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday, denying a report that the Bengals had talked to him since the NFL Draft.
He also said the talks have become more difficult lately.
“And when there’s a lack of communication in any relationship, if it’s business or personal relationship, lack of communication leads to animosity, and that leaves my narrative only to me with no clear direction,” he said.
Hendrickson’s Impact in Cincinnati
Hendrickson joined the Bengals as a free agent in 2021 and quickly became one of their best players. Last season, he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks and earned All-Pro honors—Cincinnati’s first in nearly a decade along with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
In March, the Bengals gave him permission to explore trade options. On Tuesday, Hendrickson cleared up rumors that he had set a specific trade price for himself.
“There’s no way of knowing that,” he said. “We were told what they were looking for and if it was five first-round picks, I would have agreed.”
Looking for Long-Term Security
Hendrickson said the team has been offering short-term deals, but he’s asking for long-term security. In 2023, he signed a one-year extension on top of his original four-year, $60 million contract. At the time, he also asked for a longer deal—and a trade—before eventually taking part in team workouts.
He said not signing that extension could have led to the Bengals using the franchise tag on him after this season.
“I think if I did not take that deal, we’re talking franchise tagging the 30-year-old, right?” Hendrickson said. “That’s the magic number.”
He’s set to make $15.8 million in base salary this year, but the market has changed. Browns star Myles Garrett recently signed a deal averaging $40 million a year, raising the bar for top pass rushers.
Frustrations Boil Over
The situation has been building for months. Hendrickson admitted he didn’t like some of the comments made by Bengals front-office members at league events this offseason. He compared the current state of the relationship to being attacked by a shark.
“There are unprovoked shark attacks, and there are provoked shark attacks,” he said.
Despite the tension, Hendrickson still praised coach Taylor for being honest with him and said the relationship with the team could be repaired—just like what happened with Garrett in Cleveland.
“That relationship will repair with time,” Hendrickson said. “And same with this. This is just the uncomfortable business side that we’ve unfortunately had to deal with for the last couple years.
“And quite frankly, I think we’re all spent.”
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This report used information from ESPN.
