Trey Hendrickson Had a Very Smart Message for Bengals About What He Should Be Paid

Trey Hendrickson made himself very clear during a Tuesday media session: He deserves to be one of the highest-paid pass rushers in the NFL, and he won't be playing for the Cincinnati Bengals on his current contract in 2025 after leading the lead with 17.5 sacks in '24.

Hendrickson appeared at the Bengals' voluntary OTAs on Tuesday, opting to speak to reporters for more than 20 minutes rather than participate in the team activities. He appeared after being told by Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor that he'd be fined if he didn't appear at June's mandatory minicamp, and after his public statement Monday that communications with the team had broken down after the April NFL draft.

Hendrickson admitted that Taylor's message made things a bit personal, and summed up the offseason as "disappointing."

"You try not to let the business become personal," Hendrickson said. "I think over the last week or so its become personal, unfortunately. And when there's a lack of communication in any relationship ... leads to animosity."

After playing on a four-year, $60 million deal from 2021 to '24, Hendrickson is set to make a base of $15.8 million in '25, with a cap hit of $18.7 million. That would make him just the 20th highest-paid defensive end in the league, in an offseason that saw his peers like Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and the Las Vegas Raiders' Maxx Crosby land megadeals. Garrett requested a trade before ultimately signing to stay with the Browns. Hendrickson was granted the ability to look for deals but remains in limbo with the Bengals. He made the very astute point that the team would likely look to renegotiate his deal down if he had a disappointing season, but after he led the NFL in sacks, they're unwilling to budge in the other direction.

"If I sat here with four sacks, I think they'd want a little back, right?" Hendrickson said. "And that is fair to me, and I think it's fair to all 53 other players that play. The other way, I don't think they see as fair.

"I'm not going to apologize for the rates of the defensive ends being paid in the National Football League. ... Those were the kinds of conversations that took place, which were basically, 'Go do it. Play it, play it out and we'll take care of you.' And that's the cliff notes of it, it's not a direct quote ... it's just disappointing being on the other side of it and seeing where we are now, taking on that risk."

Hendrickson has 35 sacks across the last two seasons, becoming one of the NFL's most dangerous pass rushers in his early 30s, and yet has not been able to work out a longterm extension like his teammates Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, both of whom he applauded during the interview. He does hold out hope that the two sides can come together before the season starts.

"I think every relationship is repariable. I think Myles Garrett proved that. ... That relationship will repair with time, and same with this. This is just the uncomfortable business side that we've unfortunately had to deal with for the last couple years, and quite frankly I think we're all spent."

When asked directly whether he'd play on his current contract, however, Hendrickson made things abundantly clear: "No."