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Joe Burrow confirms Trey Hendrickson skipping minicamp is a Bengals distraction

Joe Burrow was asked Tuesday if Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson skipping mandatory minicamp is a distraction.

"Of course. Of course," Burrow said without hesitation, via WCPO 9 in Cincinnati.

"Last year, we had two. This year, we have one. So we do have less. You'd love to have none, but that's life in the NFL. We're all supporting Trey and would love for him to be back."

As Burrow alluded to, this time last year, his top two receivers, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, were both working through contract issues. However, back in March, they each finally inked mega-contracts with the organization: Chase's a four-year extension worth $161 million and Higgins' a four-year, $115 million deal.

"Definitely less distractions than last year," Burrow said. He added, in reference to Chase and Higgins:

"Those guys are out there working. I know last year they were out there working on their own, not being here. But when you have those two guys — guys that bring energy, guys that make incredible plays day in and day out, and they're going to grind just as hard as everybody else — that permeates throughout the team."

Chase put up video game numbers last season, becoming just the sixth receiver since the merger to win the NFL Triple Crown with a league-leading 127 receptions, 1,708 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. Despite playing only 12 games, Higgins nearly hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the third time in his career — he did so while notching a career-high 10 touchdowns.

Hendrickson, meanwhile, has yet to get the payday he's been looking for from the Bengals, despite a productive run of his own.

The 30-year-old Florida Atlantic product is coming off back-to-back monster seasons. He earned first-team All-Pro honors after leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024. In 2023, he tied for second in the league with that same single-season total, 17.5 sacks.

Following a four-year stay with the New Orleans Saints, who drafted him in the third round in 2017, Hendrickson signed with the Bengals in 2021. Since then, he's made four straight Pro Bowls while tallying 57 total sacks.

Hendrickson is looking for a long-term contract, but the two sides have so far been unable to come to terms this offseason.

The Bengals' other potential starting defensive end, Shemar Stewart, still hasn't signed his rookie deal yet. This year's No. 17 overall pick out of Texas A&M, Stewart is in attendance for minicamp, though he isn't practicing with the team.

Stewart is one of five first-round picks who haven't signed their rookie contracts yet. The others are Jaguars wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter (selected No. 2 overall), Broncos cornerback Jahdae Barron (No. 20), Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston (No. 30) and Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell (No. 31).

Stewart, though, has been in the spotlight off the field, especially Tuesday when he sounded off about his contract dispute with the Bengals.

"I'm 100% right. I'm not asking for nothing y'all have never done before. But in y'all case, y'all just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games," Stewart said, per Sports Illustrated's Jay Morrison.

Cincinnati is desperately hoping for a bounce-back season defensively in 2025 after allowing 25.5 points per game this past season. But right now, they're down a star and another potential starter at one of the league's most premier positions because of contract complications.

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