Undoubtedly, the biggest storyline for the Cincinnati Bengals over the next month is what is going to happen with Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart and their contract disputes.

Hendrickson is, in my opinion, the most important member of the Bengals not named Joe Burrow. When he’s on the field, this defense has a chance because of his ferocious ability to get to the quarterback.

Stewart, the Bengals’ first-round pick in this past April’s NFL Draft, is poised to be Hendrickson’s running mate… at least, when he signs his rookie contract.

Speaking of which, Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. recently was a guest on ESPN’s NFL Live and offered his input on his teammates’ contract situations while discussing how the team handled Ja’Marr Chase’s and Tee Higgins’ recent contract talks.

“We got a very close locker room, first and foremost,” Brown said. “Guys have talked to Trey. Guys have talked to Shemar. Even with Ja’Marr and Tee when they were going through what they were going through, we spoke to them.

“Ultimately, it’s the NFL. It’s a business. It’s part of it. These types of things happen. But I would imagine these deals get done hopefully sooner rather than later.”

.@ZEUS__57 drops some locker room insight on the Trey Hendrickson situation in Cincy 👀 pic.twitter.com/WcnrJx0Xm8

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 20, 2025

I really like this quote from Brown. It’s to the point, rational, down-the-middle, and understanding.

Plus, I take what Brown says seriously because of his standing with the team. That’s why I like what Brown is saying here, especially when he says that the locker room is close. That was a big foundation of the Bengals’ run to the Super Bowl in 2021. It could be the foundation for another Super Bowl run in 2025.

Bengals rookies report to Training Camp on July 19th, while veterans report on July 22nd. The first day of Bengals Training Camp is July 23rd.