Trey Hendrickson's Return To Bengals Camp Suggests Contract Dispute Solution...But Nope

The optics of Trey Hendrickson ending his short holdout and showing up to the Cincinnati Bengals training camp on Wednesday suggest things are progressing toward ironing out the contract dispute between the team and its best defensive player.

Yeah, forget the optics.

Because that's not necessarily what's happening right now.

PITTSBURGH - Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on December 23, 2023. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Hendrickson: ‘Things Are Exactly The Same’

Hendrickson did indeed show up. He did indeed come into the building about as early as anyone, like he usually does. He was reportedly in meetings. And he even walked out onto the practice field.

But that's kind of it. Nothing else has changed that suggests a new deal, which Hendrickson has been wanting for two years, is imminent.

"Things are exactly the same," Hendrickson told a gaggle of reporters surrounding his locker room stall. "What I'm not going to do is as best as I can is avoid being a distraction … To [not] be that right now, I think that's what's most important and this narrative will kind of iron itself out as we progress toward the season."

This is interesting because if Hendrickson's return is meant not to cause any distraction, well, it's debatable if that is even possible.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91), left, and Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard (94) celebrate a sack in the second quarter during a Week 16 NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

Hendrickson Is Present For Bengals

Consider his return on a day quarterback Joe Burrow held his weekly press availability: The stories and attention and discussion is about Hendrickson. And his hold out, which has become a hold in, was there in plain sight for anyone to see when he walked out to the practice field.

But he did not practice. He didn't even put on a jersey or get taped. He watched from the sideline. 

Hendrickson is not expected to practice until something changes – at least not to any degree where he might hurt himself and possibly his worth along with it.

He obviously isn't going to play in the preseason even as coach Zac Taylor has said veterans will play in the preseason.

And he definitely still has no plans of playing in the regular-season on the current contract that expires at the end of the looming season.

Fine, but ending the holdout is a sign of progress, right? Well, not necessarily.

Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)

Hendrickson's Plan Changed After Bad News

Hendrickson said, "the plan was to be here Day One."

But just before Day One, in trading contract offers with the club, the Hendrickson camp was bitterly disappointed the last offer from the team didn't reflect the progress the player and his agent thought had been made in the talks.

"Things transpired," Hendrickson said without getting into the details. "News happened to me and we just kind of made decisions as we go." 

So Hendrickson returned to Florida until Tuesday, when he went back to Ohio.

And now what he's doing with a hold in is probably putting more pressure on the team to make a deal. Because he's not out of sight or mind of the public or the media.

PITTSBURGH - Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) talk after the game at Acrisure Stadium on Jan. 4, 2025. Photo: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Hendrickson Hold In May Be Better

Hendrickson is right there. At practice but not practicing. In the locker room, within reach of any reporter he wishes to talk to and vent – if that's his wish.

It's a smart move.

And what if all that doesn't get Hendrickson a new deal? Will he play at the start of the regular-season under his current deal?

"I think not only I've mentioned it multiple times this offseason, but also, I believe ownership has as well," he said, "There are plans on not having to play under the current deal. I think that's the common goal to get to. That's the plan."

But not yet.