Trey Hendrickson was seen with his Cincinnati Bengals teammates at an offseason training session just hours after expressing frustration with the team over his contract.
On Monday, the defensive end told ESPN about the lack of communication between both parties.
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Less than 24 hours later, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. filmed the 30-year-old as he entered a training session with teammates. However, Hendrickson was in street clothes and not in practice gear.
In his statement to ESPN, Hendrickson said that “no communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft.”
“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.
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“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.”
Later on Tuesday, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway reported that “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.”
Dehner also reported that Hendrickson spent 25 minutes speaking to media members and “did not hold back” on expressing his disappointment over the situation. Hendrickson also noted that his previous statement was “provoked,” per The Athletic.
Hendrickson is entering the final year of his contract and is set to make $15.8 million in base salary. This comes after the best season of his NFL career, tallying 33 tackles and a league-leading 17.5 sacks.
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The FAU product was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2017 and spent his first four seasons there before arriving in Cincinnati as a free agent. Hendrickson made the Pro Bowl in his four seasons with the Bengals and was given a one-year extension in 2023.
Hendrickson requested a trade last offseason after the team opted not to give him a new deal, but ultimately reported for OTAs and played out the season. Back in March, the team granted Hendrickson permission to seek a trade.
While his standing with the team remains unclear, Hendrickson and the Bengals still have a few months to reach an agreement before the 2025 season begins.
