Overview

• With training camp set to begin July 23, Hendrickson remains unsigned and has not reported for any team activities since skipping OTAs and minicamp.
• The Bengals have tabled multiple contract offers that Hendrickson considers insufficient to match recent market standards for elite pass rushers.
• Owner Mike Brown expressed confidence that a deal will be reached soon and emphasized the need to finalize negotiations before preseason games.
• GM Duke Tobin publicly demanded all contracted players, including Hendrickson, report to camp and defended the franchise’s handling of rookie Shemar Stewart’s holdout over voidable guarantee clauses.
• High-profile contracts such as George Karlaftis’ four-year, $93 million pact and T.J. Watt’s three-year, $123 million deal have raised the salary bar to more than $30 million per year, bolstering Hendrickson’s bargaining position.