Last year’s best pass rusher sits out the first day of the mandatory minicamp

Mandatory minicamps started across the league on Tuesday morning and as teams got together for the first time in a long time, there was big news coming out of Cincinnati who were without one of their top players.

Trey waiting on his money

Trouble looks like it could be brewing in the Queen City. The NFL’s leader in sacks from last season, Trey Hendrickson, was not present today as the Bengals kicked off minicamp, and it looks as though there won’t be a quick solution to this problem in Cincy. He is not expected to show up at any of the three days of minicamp which will lead to a fine, but Hendrickson is hoping that it eventually leads to a bigger contract.

Trey Hendrickson knows that being the league leader in sacks is a big bargaining chip when it comes to negotiations. He had 17.5 sacks in 2024, and made his fourth straight Pro Bowl. He was the diamond in the rough on a Bengals defense that was a bottom 10 unit in the NFL.

All in on offense

It’s been well documented that the Bengals went all in on the offensive side of the ball this season. After paying Joe Burrow one of the richest contracts in NFL history last year, the Bengals kept his favorite two targets Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins with long term deals.

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Money is tight in Cincy, and this isn’t the first time that Henderson has been knocking down the front office doors looking for a new deal. The 30 year old is going into the final year of his current contract and set to make $16 million as a base salary, and that puts him way down the list of highest paid EDGE rushers in the league.

Hendrickson is not the only high profile pass rusher sitting out minicamp. T.J. Watt is also sitting out for the next couple days as he awaits a new contract following another fantastic season in Pittsburgh.