Holdouts have become the norm in today’s NFL, and this year has been no different. Several players stayed away from their teams in search of better contracts, but as training camps get underway and fines begin to mount, many of those holdouts are quietly transitioning into “hold-ins.” Micah Parsons was the first to return to camp, followed by Terry McLaurin. Now, the final domino has fallen: Trey Hendrickson is back at Bengals training camp, officially ending his holdout.
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While Cincinnati has shown a willingness to pay its offensive stars, it’s been a different story on the defensive side. Hendrickson, who has recorded 35 sacks over the past two seasons, is still without a new deal. The Bengals also took their time striking a deal with their first-round rookie pass rusher, Shemar Stewart, who initially demanded a fully guaranteed contract—something the team ultimately declined before reaching a compromise just a week ago.
Now, with Hendrickson back in the building, many see his return as an olive branch, a potential first step toward finding common ground on an extension.
Joe Burrow addressed the media about Hendrickson’s return, emphasizing how valuable his presence is to the team and the locker room. According to him, just having Trey around is huge. He brings intensity and leadership to our defense. That kind of production deserves to be rewarded.
When asked about the league-wide shift from holdouts to hold-ins, the LSU alum explained the practical side of the decision. According to him, no one wants the team to fine them.
“Guys don’t want to get fined. That’s $50k a day. That’s no pennies right there. I think that probably plays a big part of it.”
But returning to training camp doesn’t necessarily mean Trey Hendrickson will take the field and practice with the rest of the team. That part will only begin once they pay him.
Much like the Cowboys with their stars, the Bengals missed the window to extend Hendrickson last season or early this offseason. Back then, the market was still manageable, even for a franchise as notoriously tight with money as Cincinnati. But now, following the record-breaking extensions for Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt, the price tag for elite pass rushers has skyrocketed to around $40 million per year.
And while the Bengals are unlikely to reach that number, the truth is Hendrickson deserves to be in that conversation. This is a league that rewards production, and few defensive ends have been more productive than he over the last two seasons. He’s also the same age as Watt and just as vital to his team’s defensive identity.
A realistic number for Hendrickson would be somewhere in the range of three years, $112 to $116 million, with at least $80 million guaranteed. Whether the Bengals will pay that remains to be seen, but the longer they wait, the more expensive it could get.
