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The Cincinnati Bengals and star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson have had a rough time negotiating a contract extension with Hendrickson using the media to call out the Bengals for allegedly cutting off communication following the draft.
Things may be improving, though, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
“So it's been a little sticky for sure, like you said, but they have resumed talks,” Fowler said on ‘SportsCenter' on Saturday. “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 three top stars: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Henderson. They got the two done. They know they need this guy. Seventeen-and-a-half sacks. He was carrying that defense at times last year.
“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, yes, but he feels like he's earned big-time money on a multiyear extension, so we'll see what they can find and some middle ground that they hope to find. If not, he is dug in. I mean, he is prepared to miss time here.”
Pass rush market has exploded. By summer’s end, at least six of top-end rushers should or will have secured mega deal since March.
Taking stock of T.J. Watt, Trey Hendrickson and Micah Parsons status on @SportsCenter with @SkubieMageza pic.twitter.com/kaLLODTs0h
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 5, 2025
Hendrickson will earn $16 million this coming season, the final year on his current deal. However, Hendrickson has said he will not play without a new deal in place. Unfortunately for him, the Bengals, who have already signed hundreds of millions in deals over the past few seasons with Joe Burrow as well as Higgins and Chase, has a reputation as one of the NFL's cheapest teams.
Although Fowler said Hendrickson feels as though he earned a big extension, Hendrickson's age does seem to be a prohibitive factor.
At age 30, he is older (even if only slightly) than just about any edge rusher who has inked an extension over the past few years, including Myles Garrett, who reset the market with a four-year, $160 million contract this offseason. Hendrickson will turn 31 in December during his ninth season in the NFL.
