There may be light at the end of the tunnel at Paycor Stadium.
On Sunday, June 15, 2025, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared a promising update regarding ongoing negotiations between the Cincinnati Bengals and 2024 All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson. According to the ESPN insider, Hendrickson and the Bengals have resumed contract talks.
Hendrickson is entering the final year of his current contract and is listed as a projected unrestricted free agent for 2026. While negotiating a new deal with the franchise, he has missed the team’s offseason workouts and mandatory minicamp, accruing fines up to $105,000.
However, Hendrickson did appear on May 13, 2025, to speak with reporters and provide additional details regarding his current contract negotiations. The defensive end cited a “lack of communication” as a driving force behind what has long been a stalemate.
In light of his absence, Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor and Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow have both expressed a desire to have Hendrickson back on the field in orange and black sooner rather than later.
“You’d love to have [no contract disputes], but that’s life in the NFL,” Burrow said. “We’re all supporting Trey and would love to have him back.”
Hendrickson isn’t the only pass rusher missing from the team’s offseason activities. First-round pick Shemar Stewart is also engaged in a volatile contract negotiation with the Bengals. Stewart and the Bengals are reportedly at a stalemate due to a clause in the proposed contract that would allow the team to void guaranteed money in future years. According to ESPN’s Ben Baby, this back-and-forth has “no end in sight.”
