The Bengals’ training camp began Tuesday, and star Trey Hendrickson is nowhere near Cincinnati.
While contract talks with Hendrickson seemed to be trending in the right direction Monday, training camp has now begun, and the negotiations may have crumbled as the All-Pro is not reporting to camp.
Hendrickson posted a photo to his Instagram story Tuesday with a location tag of Florida, a few states and hundreds of miles south of where he is supposed to be practicing with his team if he were happy with his contract.
Bengals owner Mike Brown spoke Monday on his optimism surrounding a deal with Hendrickson.
“We will get it done at some point, I think,” Brown told reporters. “I think we are in a good spot. I hope this thing comes together soon.”
But Hendrickson’s holdout suggests that an agreement may be a bit further away.
On NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football,” former linebacker Manti Te’o reported that Hendrickson spoke with him, and he confirmed the Bengals’ offer for Hendrickson was “atrociously low.”
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the dispute is centered around guaranteed money.
Cincinnati has reportedly only been willing to offer one year of guaranteed money — a far cry from the three years of guaranteed money that fellow top pass rushers TJ Watt, Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett have received in recent months.
Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks last season with 17.5, was named First Team All-Pro and was second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The 30-year-old is entering the final year of his current contract and is set to make $15.8 million for the season.
Hendrickson has adamantly stated he would not play under his current deal and has sought long-term deals similar to those of the league’s other premier edge rushers.
Just last week, Watt signed a record-breaking three-year, $123 million extension with the Steelers. Garrett previously signed a four-year, $160 million deal with the Browns and Crosby agreed to a three-year, $106.5 million deal with the Raiders.
All three signed for more than $90 million in guaranteed money.
Hendrickson has been in the same pass-rushing tier as all three players and is even second in the league in sacks over the past three years, only trailing Garrett.
But until the Bengals offer him close to what he feels he deserves, it may be some time before he’s seen in Cincinnati.