The Cincinnati Bengals are making their way through the preseason while the Trey Hendrickson contract situation continues to hang over their heads. Hendrickson is with the team, but he is still not suiting up in pads while he waits for an extension despite still participating in meetings and things of that nature.

Now, with just one preseason game to go, the Bengals are entering into dangerous territory where the threat of Hendrickson missing regular season games is alive and well.

Hendrickson talked to ESPN's Laura Rutledge during the Bengals' 31-17 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday night, and he revealed one sticking point in the negotiations despite the two sides being close on the total value of the contract.

“Rutledge reported that Hendrickson told her that he and the team are in close agreement on the total average annual salary and the length of the deal,” ESPN's Ben Baby wrote. “The sticking point remains the guaranteed money in a potential extension, with Cincinnati's stance on not providing secured salary after the first season leaving progress at a standstill.”

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The Bengals would be wise to do whatever it takes to get Hendrickson on the field this season. He led the league in 2024 with 17.5 sacks, but the Bengals still had one of the worst units in the league on that side of the ball. Now, with new coordinator Al Golden in the fold, he will want all of his stars available for Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 7.

Unfortunately for Golden and company, there is a chance that Hendrickson isn't in Cincinnati at all when Week 1 rolls around even if it is unlikely. On Sunday, it was reported that the Bengals are listening to trade offers for Hendrickson, so they could be looking to move on for the right price instead of handing a massive extension to the star pass rusher.

That would be a catastrophic scenario for the Bengals, who would be severely lacking in talent on defense if Hendrickson were to go out the door. The likely scenario is still that cooler heads prevail and that the two sides get things worked out, but time is slowly starting to tick away.

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