Overview

• The Bengals have offered Hendrickson an average annual value well into the $30 million range, aligning him with the league’s top-paid edge rushers.
• Negotiations remain deadlocked over a multi-year guarantee gap of roughly $10 million that Cincinnati has declined to fill.
• Hendrickson reported for camp this week but has refused to practice until his demand for additional guarantees is met.
• Insiders warn Cincinnati must “pay him or trade him,” and the team is preparing a five-day letter to toll his contract and strip him of pay if he stays sidelined.
• Hall of Famers Anthony Munoz and Chad Johnson have publicly urged the franchise to secure Hendrickson after he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in consecutive seasons.