One holdout defensive end is under contract, but there is still ground to gain in negotiations between the Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson, the NFL leader in sacks last season with 17.5, is training in Florida while Cincinnati gets ready for the regular season. The Bengals have made progress toward an agreement with the 30-year-old, but ESPN reported Monday the hangup over the amount of guaranteed money in the deal is significant.
NFL reporter Adam Schefter said during an interview on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday the two sides are OK with the length and total amount in the new contract. But he said there is between “$6 million and $10 million” difference in what the Bengals are offering in guarantees and what Hendrickson wants.
The Bengals finally had a breakthrough with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, their 2025 first-round pick who had been a holdout over contract language.
Hendrickson is subject to daily fines of $50,000 for missing training camp.
A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Hendrickson has been seeking a long-term deal since last year and said in the offseason he was open to a trade if it meant being paid what he believes to be his true value.
At issue is Hendrickson’s $15.8 million salary in 2025, the last season on a four-year, $60 million contract he signed in 2021. The highest-paid pass rushers in the NFL are all making at least $34 million per season, with Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons also in line for a massive payday.
Hendrickson has indicated he won’t play without a bump in pay.
“When there’s a lack of communication in any relationship, where it’s a business or personal relationship, lack of communication leads to animosity, and that leaves my narrative only to me with no clear direction,” Hendrickson said May 13 when asked about whether he wants to remain with the Bengals.
–Field Level Media
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