Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson ended his holdout with the team and reported for training camp on Tuesday.
Hendrickson, the Bengals’ four-time Pro Bowl defensive end, is seeking a new contract and has yet to come to terms with on the framework of a new deal with the club. He opted not to report to camp and leave town due to “some things that transpired” in the hours leading up to the start of camp on July 23.
According to Hendrickson, his goal was never to miss a day of training camp.
“Prior to leaving for Florida I spent 30 days in Cincinnati so the goal was always to be in Cincinnati,” Hendrickson said. “Some things transpired that became public. There was never something where I wasn’t going to be here.”
Where Trey Hendrickson, Bengals stand on contract dispute
Hendrickson returning to Cincinnati doesn’t signal his situation is any closer to being resolved. In fact, he set the record straight on where things stand between both sides.
“Things are exactly the same,” Hendrickson said.
So why did Hendrickson decide to report for camp if nothing has changed? To be a leader and help the younger players on the team, specifically the edge rushers.
He also stated a number of times that he doesn’t want to be a distraction to the rest of his teammates and is hopeful progress will start to take place now that he’s in town.
“Punishing the young players and not being a part of their development would be a selfish act,” Hendrickson said. “To come back, it was never the plan to leave. Being here for those guys is something I look forward to.”
There’s also the fact that Hendrickson was starting to rack up fines from the team for each day he missed practice. NFL players are subject to a $50,000 fine for each day they don’t report for training camp.
Latest on Trey Hendrickson contract negotiations with Bengals
Hendrickson and the Bengals have reportedly agreed on the average annual salary and the number of years in the extension. The issue to this point has been the guaranteed money.
The position Hendrickson plays saw a massive market shift with top players getting record-setting contracts that directly impacts his stance. Hendrickson has recorded 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons with 57 total over four seasons.
The Bengals entered this offseason with three star players to pay and subsequently gave Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins new deals.
Will Trey Hendrickson play on current contract?
Hendrickson doubled down when asked if he’s staying true to his prior comments of not playing the upcoming season on his current deal where he is set to make $16 million this year.
“There are plans (for me to not) play on the current deal,” he said. “That’s something we have a common goal to get to. That’s the plan moving forward. No distractions.”
Hendrickson remains the only star player in Cincinnati waiting for a new contract and the time is ticking for both sides to come to a compromise. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor wants to play his starters in preseason more than he ever has and if the team could get Hendrickson up and running before the second preseason game on Aug. 18 it would be ideal.
In order to play in a exhibition contest, Hendrickson would need at least a week of full practice reps to ensure his body is ready to go. And while Hendrickson is an 8-year NFL veteran who doesn’t necessarily need preseason snaps to be ready to go, it could really help Cincinnati’s defensive unit as a whole.
For now, Hendrickson will just take things one day at a time. He has no doubts about his preparation and his ability to be ready to go once his new contract is agreed upon.
“I’m going to be the best Trey Hendrickson I can be … whatever that looks like,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Trey Hendrickson addresses holdout with Bengals, why he reported to camp
Reporting by Kelsey Conway, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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