The Cincinnati Bengals are in the middle of two contract disputes with defensive players at the start of training camp. Both are absent from the team’s facilities as the other players report for duty, and both have posted pictures over the last couple of days that have revealed their whereabouts.
Bengals Still Engaged In Contract Disputes With Hendrickson, Stewart
Shemar Stewart, the team’s first round draft pick, appears to be back in his collegiate stomping grounds. On Monday, the 21-year-old rookie posted a photo to his Instagram story, which shows the training facilities at Texas A&M, which has been Stewart’s rumored location leading up to this week.
While the Bengals and Trey Hendrickson recently re-engaged in contract talks, Hendrickson was not at Paycor Stadium as the team reported for training camp on Tuesday.
Instead, he posted a photo to social media of the sun rising with a geotag of Florida.https://t.co/cnhakWXW6Z
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 22, 2025
The rookies were scheduled to arrive at the Bengals facility on Saturday, meaning that Stewart is more than just a day late. He has been keeping himself out of the team’s offseason program due to a contract dispute, one that revolves around the guaranteed money that Cincinnati’s front office is willing to give to their first year players. He is the only first round pick who has yet to sign a contract.
Hendrickson is apparently just as far away. Last year’s sack leader in the NFL is looking to get paid for his level of production, but is scheduled to earn just $18.6 million in 2025, a far cry from his peers at the pass rusher position. The situation has been convoluted from the start, lasting the entire offseason, and even featured a requested trade at one point.
On @gmfb, Manti Te'o says he spoke with Trey Hendrickson, who said of the #Bengals' offer and specifically guarantees: "They are atrociously, atrociously low."
Hendrickson has made clear he won't play on the last year of his current deal, which is worth $16 million in 2025.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 22, 2025
There have been reports that talks between the two sides are ongoing, but there is no deal that is close to being done. According to sources, Hendrickson has called Cincinnati’s offers “atrociously low”.
As the rest of his veteran teammates report to the team’s facilities on Tuesday, Hendrickson is in a different state entirely. He took to social media on Tuesday morning to post a photo with a geotag, which proved that he was in the state of Florida instead of Ohio.
Both Hendrickson and Stewart are facing hefty fines for the time missed during training camp, but neither has an arrival that appears imminent.
