Bengals star Trey Hendrickson refuses to play next season unless bitter contract dispute is resolved
Trey Hendrickson has claimed he will not play for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2025 season unless he reaches an agreement over a new contract.
Hendrickson, an All-Pro defensive end, has been seeking an extension this offseason in Cincinnati, where receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins recently signed new deals totaling a combined $276million.
The 30-year-old signed an extension in 2023 that will keep him in tiger stripes through the 2025 season with a base salary of $15.8m, which counts for $18.6m against Cincinnati's cap number.
However, despite being one of the best defensive ends in the league, that figure makes him only the 26th highest-paid player in that position, with the four top earners all raking in over $100m per year.
And according to Bengals beat writer Kelsey Conway, Hendrickson has no plans to line up for the team until his contract demands are met.
Conway wrote on X Tuesday: 'Trey Hendrickson just finished talking. Plenty of takeaways but most importantly, Trey Hendrickson said he won't play the upcoming season on his current deal & wouldn't say one or the other if he would sit out games'.
Trey Hendrickson just finished talking. Plenty of takeaways but most importantly, Trey Hendrickson said he won't play the upcoming season on his current deal & wouldn't say one or the other if he would sit out games
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) May 13, 2025
Earlier this week, Hendrickson revealed contract talks with Bengals officials have broken down as the two parties struggle to agree an extension.
'No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft,' he told ESPN in a statement. '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,' he continued. '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.'
The Bengals did add another defensive end, Shemar Stewart, in the first round of last month's NFL Draft, but lost another major talent at the position in Sam Hubbard, a Cincinnati native who retired in March.
Prior to the draft, Cincinnati gave Hendrickson permission to seek a trade, but within weeks those talks were off the table, according to Fox Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
The former Florida Atlantic standout sounded optimistic about a new deal in early April despite failing to come to terms with the Bengals.
'I wouldn't call it frustrating,' Hendrickson told WLWT Cincinnati. 'It gives me an opportunity to prove my worth every season.'
A two-time All-Pro selection, Hendrickson recorded 18 sacks in each of his last two seasons in Cincinnati, where he signed in 2021.
'I've been able to achieve All-Pro honors, Pro Bowl honors,' he told WLWT.
'It's been a heck of a ride and to play with some of the most talented players in the league like Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Sam Hubbard, Logan Wilson, BJ Hill, I could list every player, Ted Karras is on that list too.
'I'm just tremendously blessed, the relationships I've made. How ever it shakes out, there's nowhere I'd rather be.'
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