The Cincinnati Bengals have a pair of difficult contract situations. And trade proposals still fly across the Internet. Also, linked to those things, here is the riskiest move of the 2025 NFL offseason for the Bengals.

Cincinnati went hard for defense in the draft. The Bengals grabbed edge rusher Shemar Stewart with the No. 17 overall pick. And they followed up with a linebacker in the second and fourth rounds.

But they still took a big risk by trying to keep disgruntled edge rusher Trey Hendrickson in the house.

Bengals edge Trey Hendrickson wants more money

There are two parts to the Hendrickson saga. He’s unhappy about the way things went last season. Despite racking up an NFL-high 17.5 sacks, Hendrickson couldn’t lift the Bengals defense into even a marginal unit. Even with the draft picks, Hendrickson probably feels like there’s not enough help again in 2025.

The other part is that he wants to get paid. He’s 30 years old, and this will likely be his last big contract. He wants to cash in on the opportunity.

However, his age is an issue. Does he have enough prime years to deliver the sack goods to justify a long contract at this stage of his career?

It would have been easy for the Bengals to ship him elsewhere, get some draft picks, and make do without him. But the Bengals gambled and kept him in Cincinnati. At least for now.

And the worst thing now is that Hendrickson has become offended, according to Sports Illustrated.

“It’s become personal, unfortunately,” said Hendrickson, who said he wants to be paid like the NFL’s other top pass rushers.

After all, Trey Hendrickson led the league in 2024.

Hendrickson hasn’t said he’ll sit out if he doesn’t get a new deal, but it’s looking that way.

“To say I’m going to sit out or I’m not going to, what I can say is I’m very disappointed with the communication that’s been had,” Hendrickson said. “Former players have walked in these shoes, and what it foreshadows is not something I’m excited about to tell my wife and my family. I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that. I truthfully will put my hope in that.”

Trey Hendrickson has developed trouble with Zac Taylor

Also, Hendrickson encountered troubles with head coach Zac Taylor. That’s another bad sign.

“A little bit transpired between me and Zac,” Hendrickson said. “We’ve tried to keep it as least amount personal as possible, but at some point in this process, it’s become personal. Being sent 30 days before mandatory camp – or how many ever days it is – that if I don’t show up, I will be fined, alludes to the fact that something won’t get done in that time frame.

“The lack of communication post-draft made it imminently clear to my party – meaning my wife, my son, and my agent, a small group of people – that I had informed that this might not work out. I don’t think it was necessary. I think we should have all hoped for the best until proven otherwise.”

Hendrickson said he’s not discarding Taylor at this point. So maybe there’s hope fences can be mended.

“We’re going to just take that day by day,” Hendrickson said. “I love him, (and) I think he’s a great coach. I think he tells the truth. In no way do I feel like he has not conveyed anything that’s not truthful to me. And I think he’s a man of integrity, right? He leads and he wears the lumps, and I respect him.

“I hope he respects me. I never want to hurt his character in this process. He was one of the people that did know of the conversations that took place last year and I look forward to those kinds of things being resolved.”

Will the situation be resolved soon?

The longer this situation goes on, the worse it gets for the Bengals’ 2025 season. The gamble becomes bigger with each passing day. That’s especially true as things drift towards June.

The good news is that Hendrickson is a veteran. He could sign right before the season, suit up, and start chasing quarterbacks.

But does Hendrickson even want to be in Cincinnati anymore?

“That’s a tough question because you try not to let the business become personal,” he said. “I think over the last week or so, it’s become personal, unfortunately. And when there’s a lack of communication in any relationship, whether it’s a business or personal relationship, lack of communication leads to animosity, and that leaves my narrative only to me with no clear direction.

“So the lack of direction, the lack of communication, is leading me to things that are allowing me to think about what’s going to happen more than how great they’ve treated me over the last four years. My son was born right up the road. My wife worked at the Cincinnati VA. This is my home, and I wrote that yesterday. It’s home. So unfortunately for myself, I have to deal with that kind of dilemma.”