The Cincinnati Bengals have made no progress with Trey Hendrickson and his contract demands. Will a deal get done before the 2025 season? Here’s a breakdown of the situation.
Trey Hendrickson Contract: What’s Going On?
“I think the offseason is a good time to address contract issues..
You don’t wanna become a distraction for the team because the goal is to win a Super Bowl for Cincinnati..
If there’s something we can agree on I would love to stay in Cincinnati” ~ Trey Hendrickson #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/BuEWIDEgcI
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 5, 2025
To his credit, Hendrickson has been forthright about his contract demands.
After leading the NFL in sacks (17.5) a season ago and earning First-Team All-Pro, Hendrickson informed Cincinnati about wanting to sign a long-term deal.
Hendrickson enters the final year of his deal with a base salary of $15.8 million for 2025. That number is not even in the top 10 for highest-paid edge rushers.
While speaking with Pat McAfee in February, Hendrickson said he’s willing to work with the organization on a new contract. However, Hendrickson is also open to helping the Bengals orchestrate a trade to another team.
In March, the Bengals permitted Hendrickson to seek a trade. Despite drawing interest from other teams, Cincinnati’s asking price was reportedly too high.
In April, Bengals executive Katie Blackburn took a shot at Hendrickson, saying he should “be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn’t think he’d be happy at.”
Earlier this month, Hendrickson released a statement to ESPN, expressing his frustration with the Bengals.
“No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft. 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,” Hendrickson wrote. “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.”
Trey Hendrickson statement today to ESPN: “No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft. 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… pic.twitter.com/2MKBL60ATg
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 12, 2025
Will Trey Hendrickson Miss Games If He Doesn’t Receive A New Contract?
Trey Hendrickson-#Bengals standoff lingers:
-Hendrickson ‘extremely dug in’
-‘I can’t see how they can let a great player go…given pressure to win now’
-Potential compromisesGood piece from @Ben_Baby, to which I contributed some league buzzhttps://t.co/fDLEgJXcm0
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 29, 2025
The Bengals begin mandatory minicamp on June 10. Without a contract, will Hendrickson skip the minicamp?
Forget minicamp. Hendrickson might miss games if he doesn’t get a new deal or a trade.
Per ESPN’s Ben Baby and Jeremy Fowler, Hendrickson might “follow through on his promise to miss games or even the season.” The pass rusher is “extremely dug in” with his demands.
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