Trey Hendrickson's contract situation continues to hover over the opening of Cincinnati Bengals training camp.
As the standoff lingers, Bengals owner Mike Brown struck an optimistic tone when asked about Hendrickson on Monday.
"It's been a long negotiation. Trey Hendrickson is a fine player. He's a good guy. We want him here," Brown said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. "Dealing with him is sometimes not so easy, and that's all right. He's got the right to argue his case. We'll try to make sense of it from our perspective. We'll see. I'm not persuaded that it isn't going to get done. As far as I'm concerned, the sooner the better."
Asked if he thought Hendrickson deserved a raise, Brown replied, "We offered him one, but keep in mind, Trey is signed for this season. Foolishly maybe, we offered him one, a raise. But anyway, he deserves a raise, he did well, and he played effectively. He's important to us."
Cincinnati and Hendrickson are at odds on a contract extension, with negotiations turning sour this offseason. The pass rusher has sought long-term security for the past several years to no avail.
The 30-year-old led the NFL with 17.5 sacks and 92 QB pressures in 2024, per Next Gen Stats. Hendrickson leads the NFL with 35.0 sacks since 2023. He's one of five players to have 17-plus sacks in back-to-back seasons all-time (since 1982). Others: Reggie White (Hall of Famer), Richard Dent (Hall of Famer), J.J. Watt, Mark Gastineau.
With a horde of pass rushers getting paid this offseason, including Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt each getting $40 million-plus per year, the wait for Hendrickson to see his pay day continues. The hope in Cincy is that the impasse is settled early in camp.
The Bengals are also without first-round pass rusher Shemar Stewart, who is also in a contract dispute with the club. Brown said he believes the impasse will reach a conclusion "at some point."
"It's a very peculiar thing, it isn't about money. That's been agreed to for months," Brown said, via the Associated Press. "It is a negotiation that has reached the level of, I can only think of a word I shouldn't use here, but it's silliness. We'll have to wait until we get a better result. I think eventually that's going to happen. I don't think it's going to happen today or tomorrow, but at some point it will."
