CINCINNATI -- One of the NFL's best pass rushers will not be with his team when training camp begins.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson will not report with the rest of the team's veterans Tuesday, he told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The development comes one day before the Bengals will start their training camp in downtown Cincinnati.
The four-time Pro Bowl selection has not participated in any team activities since the end of last season, in which he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks and was named an All-Pro selection. Hendrickson is seeking a long-term deal as he enters the final year of his current contract.
The dispute, according to Schefter, is that the Bengals are not willing to give him guaranteed money past the first year. That is something that has been given to other prominent edge rushers who signed deals this offseason -- the Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett, Las Vegas Raiders' Maxx Crosby and Pittsburgh Steelers' T.J. Watt, who most recently signed an extension.
What Hendrickson wants could be very important given Cincinnati's history. Up until this year, the Bengals were one of the only teams in the NFL that did not give non-quarterbacks guaranteed money past the first year. Cincinnati appeared to buck that trend when it signed Ja'Marr Chase, another All-Pro player, to a $161 million contract extension. Of that amount, at least $32.7 million is fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap.com.
Hendrickson's lone appearance in Cincinnati during offseason workouts featured a news conference with local reporters in May, when he said he had no intentions of playing out the final year of his current contract that will pay him $16 million in cash. At the team's annual media luncheon Monday, team president Mike Brown noted that Hendrickson has always been a tough negotiator in his time with the Bengals.
"We like Trey as a person," Brown told reporters. "He's a good guy. But when it comes to these negotiations and we've been through a few of them with him, he pushes hard, he gets emotional.
"We never have an easy time of it, but there's one thing that is consistent -- it always gets done and I think this one will. But we'll see."
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said that he has had good communication with both Hendrickson and rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart, who also has not reported to training camp because of a contract dispute.
Taylor contrasted both of their respective situations.
"I think rookies are different because they haven't had the time on the field and proven themselves yet at this level," Taylor said. "I think any time missed is pretty critical for those guys.
"Whereas the vets, I've seen Henrickson play. We'd love to have him in here, love to get it done, but I know what to expect from Trey when he gets in here."
One of the questions surrounding Hendrickson's contract negotiations is his age. The Florida Atlantic product will turn 31 this season. While the Bengals have been hesitant in recent years to invest in players over 30, Hendrickson will be the same age as Watt and the Houston Texans' Danielle Hunter, who also received an extension this offseason.
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin, in his comments at the team's luncheon Monday, did not want to discuss the pros and cons of making an investment into someone at that age. But the team's de facto general manager understands Hendrickson's stance and what he brings to the table.
"I have a ton of regard and respect for Trey," Tobin said. "He's a fantastic player. He is what we look for in players. He's been very productive. He's been a great signing for us and if we can come to some agreement that gives him a raise, an extension, that would be great."
New Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden is looking to improve a defense that finished 26th in points allowed per drive a season ago. Golden said he enjoyed working with Hendrickson during the coach's previous stint as a Cincinnati assistant that overlapped with Hendrickson's first season with the team in 2021.
Golden has yet to work with Hendrickson this offseason but is eager to have the team's best defensive player back in the fold.
"It's a tough situation as coaches," Golden said. We're always supportive of that intersection of management and player. At the end of the day, we have a job to do each day, and we just hope for a quick resolution."