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The Cincinnati Bengals are playing a dangerous game with their top edge rushers. Both of Cincinnati’s starting edge rushers are in contract disputes with the team. The timing is terrible, as most NFL training camps begin on Tuesday. The situation just got worse for Cincinnati’s negotiations with Trey Hendrickson.
Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson has returned to his home state of Florida on Tuesday, according to a post on his Instagram. Cincinnati’s training camp begins on Tuesday, so Hendrickson’s out-of-state trip sends the clear message that he will not report.
Hendrickson is still engaged in contract talks with the Bengals ahead of the 2025 NFL season. But those talks have progressed slowly.
Cincinnati reportedly made at least one new contract extension offer to Hendrickson just days before training camp. Clearly Hendrickson’s camp was not happy enough with the offer to stay in Ohio for the start of training camp.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday that a sticking point in negotiations is guaranteed money. The Bengals have been willing to offer only one year of fully guaranteed money on a new contract. Meanwhile, other top edge rushers like Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, and T.J. Watt received three years on their new contracts.
Hendrickson has maintained that he does not want to play on his existing contract. He is even willing to sit out the 2025 NFL season if he does not get a new deal.
Now it is unclear when, or if, Hendrickson will return to the Bengals.
Shemar Stewart’s negotiations with the Bengals do not seem to be going any better.
Stewart caught some flack from both Bengals GM Duke Tobin and owner Mike Brown on Monday ahead of training camp.
Tobin took a lighter touch, recommending that Stewart sign his contract and report to the team.
“He needs to be here. I would encourage him to be here,” Tobin said, via Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. “He’s listening to the advice he’s paying for (from his agents). I don’t understand the advice … We’re treating him fairly.”
The holdup in negotiations relates to contract guarantees in extreme disciplinary situations. Stewart wants a fully guaranteed contract, whereas the Bengals want to strip away guarantees in the case of a serious violation.
Meanwhile, Brown appeared to take a direct shot at Stewart while explaining his position on the issue.
“If we get a player who does something unacceptable, guess what? I don’t want to pay him. I really don’t. If he’s sitting in jail, I don’t think I have to pay him,” Brown said.
If both sides are unwilling to budge on this issue, the situation could continue to drag on throughout training camp.
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