The holdout by Trey Hendrickson finally ended when the player reported back to the Cincinnati Bengals training camp amid an intense contract dispute with the franchise, one of the biggest storylines of the offseason.
With a strained relationship that many considered beyond repair, Hendrickson spoke with reporters about his decision to report to camp. He revealed the current status between him and the franchise and what his approach will be now that he has shown up to training camp.
Trey Hendrickson Speaks About His Current Situation With The Bengals Amid Contract Dispute
It has been a turbulent offseason for the Bengals. Not only did Hendrickson become a major headache, but rookie Shemar Stewart signed his contract after training camp had started. There was real uncertainty over the franchise’s ability to extend wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
All of those contract situations were resolved except for Hendrickson’s. The pass rusher grew frustrated with the team’s attempts to restructure his deal and bring it more in line with his production over the past few seasons.
Hendrickson spoke with reporters about his decision to attend training camp and how he plans to carry himself despite his unresolved contract. He made it clear that he wants to avoid any distractions.
“Things are exactly the same (with the contract). What I’m not going to do, is as best I can do, avoid being a distraction,” Hendrickson said, indicating that he has no intention of being a burden in the locker room or holding his teammates back.
Trey Hendrickson spoke for about 7 minutes at his locker after practice. Very conscious of how his presence is perceived, says focused on mentoring.
“Things are exactly the same (with the contract). What I’m not going to do, is as best I can do, avoid being a distraction.” pic.twitter.com/7SsGb8hiRs
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) July 30, 2025
His return to Bengals facilities was also a financial decision. According to “Front Office Sports,” Hendrickson was incurring $50,000 daily fines for missing training camp, totaling $350,000 over seven days. Add that to the $104,768 fine for skipping minicamp, and the pass rusher had racked up $454,768 in penalties during his holdout.
By reporting, he stops the bleeding and can continue negotiating with the team without risking his current salary.
Over the last two seasons, Hendrickson has solidified himself as one of the top edge rushers in the NFL. He posted back-to-back 17.5-sack campaigns and led the league in that stat last season. He wants to be paid like a top-tier pass rusher, and the market for edge players has skyrocketed this offseason.
The four contracts with the highest average annual value for edge rushers were all signed this offseason. T.J. Watt reset the market most recently at $41 million per year. Hendrickson is heading into the final year of his deal, earning an average of $21 million. That is a number he no longer sees as fair based on his production.
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At this point, a trade seems unlikely. However, a contract resolution remains a complex issue for Cincinnati’s front office, especially with Hendrickson turning 31 this season.
