The Cincinnati Bengals have a big problem to address.
They’ve gone back and forth with star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson for way too long, and he’s not happy with his contract situation.
Hendrickson has made it loud and clear that he wants to get the money a player of his caliber deserves, yet the Bengals haven’t budged.
However, one insider recently reported that the parties have stayed in touch to try to figure something out.
> “The two sides have resumed communication on his contract and future with the team, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Sunday. Hendrickson, who is coming off an All-Pro season and was the NFL’s sack leader with 17.5 in 2024, says he remains steadfast in his desire for a long-term contract extension,” Ben Baby [wrote](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45517916/sources-bengals-trey-hendrickson-resume-talks-contract).
The Bengals have a long history of pushing their players to the edge when it comes to this kind of situation.
Even when things get sorted out, this front office has often gone to great lengths to get on their players’ bad side, and that’s not a good precedent to set when you want to lure star players to your small market.
The Bengals have spent plenty of money to keep Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins together on offense for years to come, but their defense is lacking.
Hendrickson was arguably the only bright spot on the underachieving unit last season, and they simply can’t afford not having him on the field.
With defensive lineman Shemar Stewart, their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, also unsigned because of the Bengals’ negotiation approach, this could be a massive issue if they don’t get it out of the way soon.
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