The 2025 NFL season is fast approaching, and the Cincinnati Bengals still haven’t resolved the contract extension standoff with Trey Hendrickson. At 31, it's understandable that he doesn't want to risk playing football without contract security.
Moreover, this is probably the last time the Bengals' pass rusher can swing for a lucrative deal. Furthermore, Hendrickson has shown he's more than capable of getting to the quarterback during his time in Cincinnati.
In three of his four seasons with the Bengals, Hendrickson has recorded 12-plus sacks and has posted back-to-back 17.5 sack seasons. If Cincinnati doesn't want to meet the player's contract demands, then it's likely another NFL team does.
On Friday, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero appeared on "The Rich Eisen Show" and gave the latest on where Hendrickson and the Bengals stand in this contract standoff.
"We've seen things that seem to be going one way, and then all of a sudden the pendulum swings back," Pelissero said. "I do not believe, without a new contract, that Trey Hendrickson is reporting. I don't think that he is there throughout the course of the preseason without a new contract, at least up until the point that he would need to play...
"But I would absolutely not be surprised if he sits out games. You're talking about missing a million dollars per game check, but you're also talking about a guy who — this is his time to get one more really big bite at the apple. He's determined to get that. So stay tuned on the Trey Hendrickson situation."
💻 @TomPelissero
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) July 18, 2025
What is the latest with Trey Hendrickson and his holdout in Cincinnati, especially now after TJ Watt broke the bank to remain in Pittsburgh?#NFL #RuleTheJungle pic.twitter.com/yEpItp8FRR
Furthermore, Pelissero reveals that Hendrickson believes he's already done the Bengals a favor when signing a one-year extension in 2023.
"He wants a multi-year commitment from the Bengals after that one-year extension he did a couple of years ago. He doesn't want to go down that road again. He doesn't want to kick the can and have to address this again in 2026.
"The Bengals are saying, 'This is what we are willing to do.' Eventually, somebody has to blink, and I don't anticipate that, at least in the next few days here, it's going to be Trey Hendrickson."
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