“It’s happening again.” This is what the Bengals fans are whispering to themselves as history starts to repeat itself. Longtime fans remember this pattern all too well: first Corey Dillon, then Carson Palmer… and now 2025 brings its own version of déjà vu. Another summer, another star nowhere to be seen at training camp.
If you’ve been around this team long enough, you know the script. The Bengals front office holds its ground, the player holds out, and the standoff gets louder with every passing day. But this time? It feels different. It’s not just about the dollars anymore. This feels like a clash of philosophy, of control… maybe even identity. And in Cincinnati, that kind of battle rarely ends quietly.
The Trey Hendrickson holdout is a full-on identity test for the Bengals. After leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks last season (and doing the same the year before), Hendrickson isn’t showing up to camp. He wants what top-tier pass rushers are getting paid, and honestly? With that kind of production, who can blame him? But the Bengals haven’t budged, and now it feels like this standoff is inching toward something much bigger than a contract dispute.
Mike Florio chimed in and hinted at Hendrickson’s actual demands. “Hendrickson is pushing for more. I think he wants Maxx Crosby money. I heard months ago that they offered him $28 million… one year guaranteed. Not three. That’s a big part of it for a guy on the wrong side of 30.”
Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) warms up against the Kansas City Chiefs prior go a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
And that’s…fair. Maxx Crosby’s monster extension last year (3 years, $106.5M, $91.5M guaranteed) reset the edge rusher market. Meanwhile, the Bengals reportedly offered Hendrickson around $28M per year… with just one year guaranteed. That kind of structure might fly for a younger guy, but for a 30-year-old coming off back-to-back sack titles? A bit unfair.
Hendrickson has more sacks than anyone since 2023—yep, even more than Myles Garrett. And yet? He’s set to make just $15.8 million in 2025, which ranks 29th among edge rushers in cash earnings. Meanwhile, guys like T.J. Watt, Maxx Crosby, and Danielle Hunter are all clearing $35 to $41 million a year with long-term security baked in.
As you’d expect, he isn’t settling. So where exactly are the Bengals and Hendrickson right now? Not in a very good place. He has officially packed up and moved from Cincinnati to Jacksonville, Florida, to not be a ‘distraction.’ Apparently, he received two offers in the last 24 hours, but neither of them contained the guarantees he was looking for. He might not be willing to settle, but neither are the Bengals.
Bengals aren’t swaying away from their philosophy
For the Bengals, it’s not just a pay dispute; it’s a power play rooted in the Bengals’ ‘control first’ philosophy. Mike Florio had some things to say about this, too. “The Bengals don’t care. They say, ‘Stay home, we’ll gladly keep your money’. It’s not about money for the Bengals; it’s about power. It’s about reminding the players who’s in charge.”
That mindset feels eerily familiar to Bengals fans, because they’ve seen it before. Back in 2011, it was Carson Palmer drawing a hard line, threatening retirement rather than suiting up for Cincinnati again. Mike Brown, ever the old-school owner, refused to blink. Palmer sat out, the drama dragged on, and Browns only caved once the Raiders came calling with a king’s ransom. The message back then was loud and clear: no player, no matter how talented, dictates terms to this franchise.
And that puts Trey in a tough spot. He’s got two options: bite his lip, show up, and hope the team throws him a bone later… or stay dug in and risk becoming the next Palmer-style standoff. Either way, it’s becoming pretty clear—Cincy’s sending the same message they always do: no matter how good you are, the house makes the rules.
Behind closed doors, Joe Burrow has called Hendrickson’s holdout a “distraction,” even likening it to last year’s offseason drama with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. But he shrugged it off too, saying, “That’s life in the NFL.” Thing is, this one feels different. Hendrickson is the emotional anchor of this offense. Losing that kind of presence to a contract standoff? That’s more than a bump in the road.
And until it’s resolved, it’s hard not to wonder: how do you build a top-five unit when your tone-setter isn’t even in the building? You can’t help but wonder: What if Bengals lose a diamond because of their pride and ego?
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