Trey Hendrickson contract dispute: Laura Rutledge reveals negotiation ‘hasn’t gotten close’ for Bengals, star DE

Contract talks between the Cincinnati Bengals and defensive end Trey Hendrickson remain at an impasse. Now, Cincinnati is actively listening to trade offers for the 30-year-old All-Pro.

What exactly is preventing the two sides from getting a deal done? Hendrickson, speaking with ESPN‘s Laura Rutledge ahead of the Bengals’ Monday night preseason game against the Washington Commanders, said the issue is guarantees, not duration or total value of the deal. As far as a trade goes, she said it “hasn’t gotten close.”

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported earlier Monday that teams inquiring about Hendrickson were told Cincinnati’s asking price included a young defensive player and a 2026 first-round pick. The Bengals aren’t requiring the player to be a pass rusher.

Hendrickson, the NFL’s reigning sack leader, is sitting-in — attending preseason camp but not actively participating in practice — as he seeks a lucrative, long-term deal ahead of his final season on a one-year, $21 million extension he signed in 2023. Cincinnati granted him permission to seek a trade in March after contract discussions broke down this spring, though nothing much came of it, and he elected to report to training camp rather than hold out.

Trey Hendrickson saga rolls on

Hendrickson has tallied a league-leading 35 sacks over the last two seasons. He’s one of NFL’s most disruptive forces on defense, and he wants to be paid like it. Fellow NFC North pass rushers Myles Garrett and TJ Watt signed big money contracts earlier this offseason with the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively. Watt signed a historic three-year, $123 million extension in July that will pay him $41 million annually, representing the highest average salary for a non-quarterback in NFL history. Garrett signed a four-year, $160 million deal in March.

Late last month, Russini spoke with Hendrickson, who said two offers had been made but the guarantees were not good enough. From there, the decision was made to leave training camp so he would not be a distraction.

“They received two offers in a 24-hour span, none containing the guarantees past the first year he was looking for,” Russini wrote on X. “Hendrickson didn’t want to hear the practice whistles while being a distraction to his teammates, so he and his wife Alisa decided to pack up and head to Florida.”

Russini then provided a direct quote from Hendrickson on the situation. He said, “I was more than willing to take less in some ways in order to make this work.”

The clock is ticking as the Bengals kick off the season Sept. 7 with a divisional game versus the Cleveland Browns. It’s clear more work needs to be done if Hendrickson is going to be on the field.