After an off-season dominated by criticism about the Cincinnati Bengals’ front office and their approach to contract negotiations, the Bengals appear to have won another dispute with a player. Last week, the Bengals ended a lengthy standoff with 2025 1st-round draft pick Shemar Stewart, and now it appears they are close to winning a standoff with defensive end Trey Hendrickson. This evening, Adam Schefter released a tweet stating that Trey Hendrickson will report to Bengals training camp on Wednesday.
Hendrickson is reporting to training camp without any changes to the final year of his current contract. He is hopeful that reporting to camp will show that he is willing to do what is needed to reach an agreement with the Bengals for a new contract. Currently, Hendrickson is in the last year of a contract that he signed in 2023, which extended his contract for one year and was worth $21 million.
Since signing that contract extension, Hendrickson has outperformed his current contract with 17.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons. Last season, Hendrickson was the NFL leader in quarterback sacks. Earlier this year, several defensive ends like Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, and Maxx Crosby all received extensions that raised the bar salaries for top defensive ends like Hendrickson. By reporting to camp, Hendrickson will stop accruing fines of $50,000 per day, and is hopeful that he will soon receive a contract with more money and a multi-year commitment from the Bengals.
Hendrickson’s return to practice with the Bengals will leave Cincinnati with a defensive line that will now be full strength heading into their pre-season games.
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