"I was more than willing to take less": Trey Hendrickson gets 100% real on Bengals contract holdout

The Cincinnati Bengals haven't yet resolved the contract dispute with defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Amid the holdoff, the four-time Pro Bowler didn't participate intraining camp. Instead, Hendrickson relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, to be away from all the noise surrounding his contract stalemate.

On Tuesday, in an exclusive interview with The Athletic's Diana Russini, Trey Hendrickson shared his feelings about the Bengals and his contract situation.

"I spent the last 30 days at my home in Cincinnati, which is across the river from the stadium," Hendrickson said (as per The Athletic). "We were given two offers within a 24-hour period, and (neither) of them had the guarantees we were looking for. I wanted to be there, but here's no way I would be able to sit there in the house and hear the practice whistles while also being a distraction. I don't want to ruin the other 10 guy's 2025 season on my contract language.

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

"I was more than willing to take less in some ways in order to make a deal work to accommodate the presented needs," Hendrickson continued. "I verbalized to the Bengals that I wanted to be the captain, to lead a young defense. And once rookie Shemar Stewart gets back at camp, I want to pass along the knowledge that I have, just like Cam Jordan once did for me."

Trey Hendrickson initially began his NFL journey with the Saints in 2017. He signed a four-year deal worth $60 million to join the Bengals in March 2021. On July 2023, the four-time Pro Bowler signed another extension that saw him play for the team through the 2025 season.

---

Begnals owner opens up about Trey Hendrickson's contract situation

The rumor mill has been churning about Hendrickson being potentially traded amid the contract holdout. On Monday, though, team owner Mike Brown refuted these rumors while opening up about their plans with the four-time Pro Bowler.

"We aren't going to trade Trey," Brown said. "We're working to get Trey re-signed as we speak. Our guys are in the office working to get that done. And I think it will get done."

The situation surrounding Hendrickson's contract continues to grow interesting with each passing day. However, following Mike Brown's statement, fans can expect a deal to be finalized before the start of preseason.

Edited by Bhargav