Trey Hendrickson is not happy with the Bengals, and as of this week, that seems to include HC Zac Taylor. A day after issuing a statement via ESPN saying that the Bengals have not communicated with him about a contract extension since before the draft, he spoke at length to reporters. During that time, he revealed that a text message from Taylor set him off.
“A little bit transpired between me and Zac,” Hendrickson said, via Mike Petraglia of CLNS. “We’ve tried to keep it as least amount as personal as possible, but at some point in this process it’s becomes personal. Being sent 30 days before mandatory camp or how many ever days it is that if I don’t show up I will be fine alludes to the fact that something won’t get done in that time frame”.
Basically, as Hendrickson tells it, Taylor sent him a text, presumably during an exchange, to remind him that if he doesn’t report to mandatory minicamp, the Bengals will fine him. Cincinnati has the power to waive such fines if it so chooses—but it does not. Of course, we don’t know the context in which Taylor brought up the fines, either, and Taylor didn’t share his side.
The thing is, we’re nowhere yet near mandatory minicamp. That seems to be the element to which Hendrickson took umbrage. Why is his head coach, in mid-May, warning him about something that starts on June 10? The Bengals don’t even open their slate of OTAs until May 27, for context.
Back in March, Trey Hendrickson requested the opportunity to seek a trade, and the Bengals granted it. Technically speaking, he has been available to any team that wishes to trade for him for over two months. We have no idea if any team has called about him, or what the Bengals would require to trade him.
Despite the trade request, Hendrickson said he wants to stay with the Bengals. The problem is he feels the organization is not respecting him, particularly now. He posted a first-team All-Pro season in 2024 and is clearly underpaid relative to his position versus his production. Even with 35 sacks over the past two years, he doesn’t crack the top 10 in APY among edge rushers.
The Bengals prioritized their offense, however, signing WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and even TE Mike Gesicki, to extensions. While QB Joe Burrow campaigned for them, he also pushed the front office to make good with Trey Hendrickson.
While the contracts are adding up, the Bengals could make a new deal work with Hendrickson. Particularly for this season, his cap hit is already elevated, so they could lower it for 2025. Beyond that, it’s about structuring contracts in such a way that you can stack the way you restructure them.
In 2026, for example, the Bengals could create more than $45 million in cap space by restructuring the contracts of Burrow, Chase, and Higgins. This is a team in a Super Bowl window and doesn’t seem to want to pay up for its best pass rusher, the most premium position on defense. And now Trey Hendrickson has his head coach dropping hints about petty fines for theoretically missing something weeks away.
