In the midst of a contract dispute with the Cincinnati Bengals, star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson has left the state of Ohio on the day that the team is set to begin training camp.
Hendrickson and the Bengals have been locked in talks over a long-term extension, with neither side seemingly willing to give an inch in the negotiations.
As a result, Hendrickson posted a photo to his Instagram story of a road and geo-tagged the picture to indicate that he was in the state of Florida.
Hendrickson is a native of Orlando and played his college football at Florida Atlantic University before being taken in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.
He joined the Bengals in free agency in 2021 – signing a four-year, $60million contract with the team – and became a star for Cincinnati. Hendrickson helped the Bengals reach Super Bowl LVI in his first season with the team, made the Pro-Bowl each year in Cincinnati, and was named to the All-Pro first-team this last season.
But no extension has been given to him just yet and Hendrickson is willing to dig his heels in – refusing to play or practice until he gets a new contract.
Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson revealed he’s in Florida when training camp started
Hendrickson is in the midst of a contract dispute with the Bengals as he hopes for an extension
He’s even threatened to sit out the entire season if he isn’t given a new contract
The 30-year-old signed an extension in 2023 that will keep him in tiger stripes through the 2025 season with a base salary of $15.8m, which counts for $18.6m against Cincinnati’s cap number.
However, despite ranking among the best defensive ends in football, that figure makes him only the 26th highest-paid player in that position.
This also comes after the Bengals signed star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to big-money contract extensions in the offseason.
Back in May, Bengals beat writer Kelsey Conway reported that Hendrickson has no plans to line up for the team until his contract demands are met.
Conway wrote on X: ‘Trey Hendrickson just finished talking. Plenty of takeaways but most importantly, Trey 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’.
That appears to have held true, with Hendrickson not reporting to training camp for the first day.
Hendrickson got permission to seek a trade prior to the NFL Draft, but that option now appears to be off the table.
On an episode of Good Morning Football on Tuesday, former NFL linebacker Manti Te’o said he spoke with Henderson, who said that the Bengals’ current offer is ‘atrociously, atrociously low’.
The four-time Pro Bowler is said to have ‘no interest’ in playing on his current $16million salary
The defensive line used to be a strong-suit for the Bengals. But within months of the season ending, that appears to be in doubt.
Not only is Hendrickson holding out, but first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart is also avoiding camp. The star defensive end has been seen in Texas at his former college working out, fueling speculation that he’d try to return to school or sit out unless a contract can be agreed upon.
Stewart and Hendrickson decided to play hardball while the Bengals are also dealing with the loss of Sam Hubbard, who retired in March.
