Trey Hendrickson "prepared to miss time" if Bengals can’t meet multi-year extension demands: Insider

The Cincinnati Bengals have yet to come to a favorable conclusion regarding Trey Hendrickson's contract negotiation. They signed the DE to a four-year deal worth $60 million in 2021. Hendrickson signed an extension in July 2023 that kept him with the team through the 2025 season.

As he enters the final year of his deal, the 4x Pro Bowler is demanding a long-term extension from the Bengals. Hendrickson missed the mandatory minicamp due to the stalemate in the negotiations.

On Saturday, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler shared insight into Hendrickson's contract saga. During an appearance on SportsCenter, he highlighted the importance of the DE for the team. He said Hendrickson is prepared to "miss time" until his demands are met.

"So it's been a little sticky for sure, like you said, but they have resumed talks," Fowler said. "In recent weeks, they've been in communication. That is a good sign. It has not led to a deal as of yet, but Cincinnati's plan all along has been to sign and extend their top three stars...

"They got two done. They know they need this guy... It's just this is a process with a team that doesn't give a lot of guaranteed money beyond year one, typically, or how they structure their signing bonuses. He wants more long-term security. This is not a year-to-year proposition for him."

"He's 30 years old, but he feels like he's earned big-time money on a multi-year extension, so we'll see what they fan find, and some middle ground that they hope to find. If not, he is dug in. I mean, he's prepared to miss time here."

Trey Hendrickson has started 63 of the 65 games he's played for the Bengals. The 4x Pro Bowler has recorded a total of 155 tackles, 53 tackles for loss, 112 quarterback hits and 57 sacks.

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Bengals OT Orlando Brown Jr. shares his thoughts on Trey Hendrickson's contract situation

Last month, Orlando Brown Jr. sat down for an interview with ESPN's "NFL Live." During this interaction, the Super Bowl LVII champion shared his thoughts on the situation surrounding Trey Hendrickson's contract and the locker room's perspective.

"I think we got a very close locker room, first and foremost," Brown said. "Guys have talked to Trey, guys have talked to Shemar, even with Ja'Marr and Tee (Higgins). When they were going through what they were going through, we spoke to them.

"I mean, ultimately, it's the NFL, it's a business. It's part of it, these types of things happen. But I would imagine these deals get done, hopefully sooner rather than later."

The Bengals are also having contract troubles with the 2025 draft's first-round pick, Shemar Stewart. He has declined to sign his rookie deal because of the language used in his contract that voids his guaranteed money under certain conditions.