![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.cincinnati.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/05\/06\/PCIN\/83476257007-bengals-training-may-202528451.jpg?crop=4151,2335,x0,y0&width=3200&height=1801&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/p>\nCincinnati Bengals\u00a0brass rebuke the notion that they are cheap, but they aren\u2019t doing themselves any favors with the current news emanating out of the organization.<\/p>\n
A Bengals player (singular or plural) being disgruntled over their contract situation has become a tradition.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins requested a trade last offseason. This offseason,\u00a0pass rusher Trey Hendrickson\u00a0currently wants out due to failed extension talks, and first-round pick\u00a0Shemar Stewart\u00a0remains unsigned because of a contract dispute.<\/p>\n
Hendrickson, the Bengals best defensive player, didn\u2019t show up to minicamp. He\u00a0told reporters in May\u00a0that he wouldn\u2019t play under his current deal. Hendrickson is due to make $15.8 million in base salary this season on the final year of his contract.<\/p>\n
Stewart left minicamp after not participating. A person close to the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports, the Bengals are attempting to change the language in the rookie\u2019s contracts to “allow the team to void future guarantees.” Stewart\u2019s representation is asking for his contract language to look the same\u00a0as previous Cincinnati first-round picks. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.<\/p>\n
Stewart has yet to practice all offseason. He is one of four 2025 first-round picks who remain unsigned.<\/p>\n
![\"Final](\"https:\/\/atozsports.com\/.image\/ar_16:9%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cg_xy_center%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_1200%2Cx_2711%2Cy_862\/MjEzODUyNzgyMjQ1OTc5OTk3\/usatsi_24788991.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cI think for all the rookies you\u2019d like for them to be on the field. But certainly, there are things that happen throughout the course of an NFL career. This is one of them right now,\u201d Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters this week. \u201cHe\u2019s been in the meetings. He\u2019s been positive in that way. He\u2019s been learning, he\u2019s been a good learner, and we look forward to him getting back on the field quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fairness, the Bengals re-signed Joe Burrow in 2023 to a\u00a0record-breaking extension\u00a0that at the time made him the highest-paid player in NFL history. This year, Cincinnati re-signed both wide receivers Ja\u2019Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to\u00a0mega long-term deals.\u00a0Chase is currently the highest-paid wide receiver in the league.<\/p>\n
The Bengals took steps forward to squash the cheap narrative with the Burrow, Chase and Higgins deals. But the organization has since taken a step back with the contract stalemates involving both Hendrickson and Stewart.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Rams are ‘right place’ for wide receiver Davante Adams<\/p>\n
“I’m 100 percent right. I’m not asking for nothing y’all have never done before,” Stewart said to reporters this week of the Bengals, per\u00a0The Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network. “But in y’all case, y’all just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games.”<\/p>\n
The Bengals only won nine games last season. The club was on vacation during the playoffs in large part because of a poor defensive unit. Six of the Bengals losses occurred in games they scored 25 points or more. They ranked 29th<\/sup>\u00a0both second half points allowed, and fourth quarter points allowed. The unit ranked 25th<\/sup>\u00a0in the NFL in total defense.<\/p>\n And now this offseason, the Bengals are at odds with their best defensive player, who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024, and their first-round pick edge rusher because of situations that involve money.<\/p>\n Bengals brass hate being called cheap. But the organization isn\u2019t doing enough to quell the perception.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" usatoday.com wants to ensure the best experience for all of our readers, so we built our site to take advantage of the latest technology, making it faster and easier to use.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cincinnati-bengals"],"yoast_head":"\n