The Cincinnati Bengals found themselves at the center of some big NFL news on Monday.
In a statement made to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson said he and his camp have had "no communication" with the Cincinnati organization since the 2025 NFL draft.
Hendrickson, who's seeking a lucrative longterm contract, also said the Bengals' previous offers "did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised."
"Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating. 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," Hendrickson added in the statement.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was initially scheduled to speak with reporters on Tuesday. But in the wake of this statement from Hendrickson, the Bengals pushed the press conference to Tuesday, May 20.
NFL fans took to social media to react to this decision.
"LMAO - had to get a week's distance from the Trey bomb," one wrote.
"Gotta train him up with what to say about the Trey news huh?" another asked.
"They don't want him saying something scathing about the Hendrickson situation like he did with Chase/Higgins," another said.
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow (9) celebrates following his touchdown pass to wide receiver Tee Higgins (5).
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow (9) celebrates following his touchdown pass to wide receiver Tee Higgins (5).
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension with the Bengals before the 2023 season. Through 17 regular-season game appearances in 2024, the two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year led the league with 4,918 passing yards and 43 passing touchdowns with a 70.6 completion percentage.
“We can make it happen,” Burrow said when asked about contract negotiations with Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Hendrickson earlier this year. “We can make it happen. And it just has to be right for everybody involved. I know the players want to make it work. We all want to be together. So I don’t see it not working out, but we’ll see.”