Trey Hendrickson, the prominent player for the Cincinnati Bengals, has communicated that he will not participate in the upcoming season under his current contract, in what appears to be an escalation in his dispute with the team.
Hendrickson, who was present at the team’s voluntary workouts on Tuesday, although not in uniform, spoke with reporters. This occurred a day after he issued a statement through Adam Schefter where he noted that the team had suspended contract negotiations with him.
The player expressed his disappointment at the lack of communication from the Bengals and described the situation as “personal”, although he also suggested that the relationship with the team can still be repaired.
Hendrickson explained that he felt compelled to speak to the media after coach Zac Taylor informed him about potential fines if he didn’t attend the mandatory three-day minicamp, scheduled for June 10. The message, according to Hendrickson, implied that a deal wouldn’t be reached by that deadline.
At 30 years old, Hendrickson is in the final year of his contract and is coming off his best season in the NFL, where he led the league with 17.5 sacks and was named to the Associated Press All-Pro team.
Ja’Marr Chase, also selected All-Pro last season, received a new $161 million contract this year, becoming the highest-paid non-quarterback player in league history.
Hendrickson has been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his four seasons with Cincinnati. In 2023, he received a one-year extension on the four-year, $60 million contract he signed in 2021 as a free agent. Last season, he requested a trade after the team decided not to offer him a new contract, but ultimately reported to voluntary workouts.
For this season, Hendrickson has a base salary of $15.8 million, the last year of his contract. In an interview on “The Pat McAfee Show” last month, Hendrickson stated that he is not looking to be the highest-paid defensive end in the NFL.
