Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson went off on the organization Tuesday, and he reserved a special mention for coach Zac Taylor.
Hendrickson told reporters Tuesday that he would not play in 2025 without a new contract and said he has been “disappointed” with the communication he has received from the team. He even called out Taylor by name during his extended remarks.
“A little bit transpired between me and Zac,” Hendrickson said, via Mike Petraglia of CLNS. “We’ve tried to keep it as least amount as personal as possible, but at some point in this process it becomes personal. Being sent 30 days before mandatory camp or how many ever days it is that if I don’t show up I will be fined alludes to the fact that something won’t get done in that time frame. The lack of communication post-draft made it imminently clear to my party — meaning my wife, my son and my agent, a small group of people — that I had inform that this might not work out. I don’t think it was necessary. I think we should have all hoped for the best until proven otherwise.
“Other things have transpired, like the importance of me being here in OTAs doesn’t seem to be respected. I think I’ve carried a lot of respect. I don’t mean to insinuate anything about anyone’s character, but that was disappointing.”
Hendrickson also admitted that Taylor’s threat of a fine for skipping mandatory minicamp drove him to speak out.
While Hendrickson says he is willing to move on if the Bengals give him the long-term contract he wants, things have become quite toxic between himself and the team. Calling out his longtime head coach by name and suggesting Taylor has played a role in making the situation “personal” is certainly a major escalation tactic, and the two parties will have a lot of work to do to smooth things over even if they do come to a contract agreement.
Hendrickson leads the NFL with 35 sacks over the past two seasons, and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting last year. The Bengals, however, prioritized other contracts this offseason, and now Hendrickson is feeling disrespected.
