Defensive end Trey Hendrickson skipped the Cincinnati Bengals’ minicamp this past week amid a contract dispute. The eight-year veteran is looking for an extension with his contract set to expire after this season.
Hendrickson, 30, is set to be paid a base salary of $15.8 million but insists that he will not play this season under his current deal. He’s seeking a long-term agreement that would put him among the NFL’s highest-paid pass rushers.
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However, not attending minicamp may have moved the negotiation process forward. Hendrickson and the Bengals have resumed discussions on a new contract, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. How much of a gap exists between the two sides has not been reported.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is currently the league’s highest-paid pass-rusher after agreeing in March to a four-year extension that pays him an average annual salary of $40 million. Hendrickson’s teammate Ja’Marr Chase is the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback with a new contract that will pay him $40.25 million per season.
Hendrickson isn’t the only pass rusher looking for a new contract. Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons and Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt are also looking to top the pay scale at their position. One major issue is that neither player likely wants to be the first to sign, possibly reset the market and then watch a peer overtake him as the NFL’s highest-paid pass rusher.
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The Bengals’ defensive end has registered 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons. That total led the NFL last season. (He finished behind Watt’s 19 sacks in 2023.) Subsequently, Hendrickson was named to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, earned first-team All-Pro honors and finished as runner-up in NFL defensive player of the year voting.
Hendrickson has 77 sacks in his eight NFL seasons, averaging 13 over the past three years. Only Garrett has more during that span. He also has 220 tackles and 77 tackles for loss for his career.
Cincinnati is also in a contract dispute with rookie Shemar Stewart, one of four first-round selections who have not reached an agreement with their respective teams. As a result, he left minicamp last Thursday.
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