Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson says extension talks have stalled: ‘No discussion and evident lack of interest'

New York Times

12-05-2025

Another week, another exchange of accusations between the Bengals and Trey Hendrickson.
In what has become a regular occurrence as the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year seeks an extension of his current contract that expires this offseason, Hendrickson issued a statement to ESPN expressing his latest displeasure at the Bengals' level of communication and willingness to negotiate.
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This comes after two appearances on the 'Pat McAfee Show' this offseason were filled with frustration directed toward the team as the two sides discuss his contract.
'No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft,' Hendrickson said in the 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. 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.'
Earlier this offseason, the Bengals signed Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase to lucrative extensions. Hendrickson was prioritized below them and seeks an extension of the one-year, $21 million in cash he will collect this season.
When Cincinnati selected edge rusher Shemar Stewart in the first round of the draft, it set in motion the plan beyond Hendrickson, though the team still has hopes of keeping Hendrickson happy and in the fold.
What that monetary point ends up being was the primary issue and one that Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn addressed at the owner's meetings.
'I think he should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn't think he'd be happy at,' Blackburn said. 'I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point, and if he's not, you know, that's what holds it up sometimes. So, you know, it takes him to say yes to something, and also, we have all the respect in the world for him. He's been a great player. We're happy to have him. And so maybe we'll find a way to get something to work. We're just gonna see where it goes.'
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That prompted an appearance on McAfee, where Hendrickson expressed disappointment in the words of Blackburn. Last week, NFL Network's Ian Rappaport stated the two sides have been in communication, which Hendrickson took issue with in deciding to issue a statement.
The soap opera appears to have no end in sight and will track toward training camp and the regular season to see how far Hendrickson will take his frustration with the team. There's no precedent here or reason to believe the Bengals will budge on their stance. The opportunity to trade Hendrickson was back when he was permitted to seek one before free agency. Any deal would be exponentially more difficult now, even with Stewart in the building. He's still a raw prospect who led the team in pressures, but still only tallied 1 1/2 sacks at Texas A&M before setting the combine ablaze with his testing numbers.
The regular public tennis match isn't doing anybody any favors, not Hendrickson, the team or the exhausted fans. It's also a game that will likely continue for the foreseeable future, with no reason to believe this statement will have any impact on Cincinnati's stance.