Sources: Bengals, DE Hendrickson resume talks

CINCINNATI -- For the archetypal clip successful respective months, determination is immoderate optimism surrounding Trey Hendrickson's aboriginal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 2 sides person resumed connection connected his declaration and aboriginal with the team, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler connected Sunday. Hendrickson, who is coming disconnected an All-Pro play and was the NFL's sack person with 17.5 successful 2024, remains steadfast successful his tendency for a semipermanent declaration extension.

But this is simply a affirmative crook successful what has been a fierce stalemate. Hendrickson did not enactment successful immoderate of the team's offseason workouts, including past week's mandatory minicamp. By missing the three-day session, Hendrickson was taxable to fines of astir $105,000.

The lone clip Hendrickson made an quality this offseason was to clasp an extended quality league with reporters to explicate his broadside of the dialog process. In those comments, Hendrickson repeatedly took umbrage with the deficiency of connection betwixt himself and the Bengals successful declaration talks.

"When there's a deficiency of connection successful immoderate relationship, wherever it's a concern oregon idiosyncratic relationship, deficiency of connection leads to animosity, and that leaves my communicative lone to maine with nary wide direction," Hendrickson said connected May 13 erstwhile asked astir whether helium wants to stay with the Bengals.

Hendrickson, 30, is acceptable to participate the last twelvemonth of his existent contract. He is seeking a semipermanent woody that puts him successful enactment with the NFL's different starring walk rushers. Over the past 3 seasons, Hendrickson has tallied 43 full sacks, 1 less than the Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett, who has a league-high 44 sacks during that span.

This offseason, Garrett signed a declaration hold with the Browns that is valued astatine $40 cardinal a year. Hendrickson is acceptable to gain $16 cardinal successful currency this play but has already stated his tendency to not play connected his existent deal.

Last week, Bengals manager Zac Taylor was asked astir the value of having Hendrickson erstwhile grooming campy starts successful precocious July.

"I deliberation anytime you person large players you privation them to beryllium around," Taylor said. "That's conscionable a determination he's got going connected close present and we'll support focusing connected the guys that are here."

Bengals backmost Joe Burrow said not having Hendrickson successful the fold "of course" has been a distraction, but thing that is simply a earthy portion of the game.

"You'd emotion to person [no declaration disputes], but that's beingness successful the NFL," Burrow said. "We're each supporting Trey and would emotion to person him back."

Hendrickson isn't the lone declaration contented the Bengals are trying to navigate. Rookie antiaircraft extremity Shemar Stewart has yet to motion his rookie woody and has not participated successful immoderate squad workouts due to the fact that of a quality implicit declaration language.