Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals talking again means a soft deadline should be set for a contract extension

This shouldn't be uplifting news for Bengals fans, but is just that. Relations between Cincinnati's front office and Hendrickson have not been great in recent months as both sides have made it clear where they stand. The decision-makers want Hendrickson to accept their valuation of Hendrickson, and Hendrickson desires more than that. 

More times than not it's the Bengals' side that gets what it wants. Hendrickson has not gone down without a fight as he's taken various public jabs at the team this offseason and skipped the entire offseason program. He set himself up to be fined over $100,000 in the process. 

Hendrickson has ample support from the fanbase and general public, but his strategy has not worked for past Bengals players. If it was the team who stepped forward and re-engaged talks recently, that's a notable sign of progress for the 30-year old's plight. 

Talks simply resuming, however, do not mean much of anything if neither side is willing to budge closer to a compromise. Why this report matters at all isn't about how close the finish line is, but simply the goal of making it closer.

All eyes on training camp as soft deadline for Trey Hendrickson extension

There are more than 80 days until Cincinnati's regular season begins in September. If there's a real deadline for the team and Hendrickson to reach an agreement, it's the hours leading up to Week 1. This was the case for Joe Burrow in 2023 and Ja'Marr Chase in 2024, and the hit rate was 50%. 

A deal with Hendrickson shouldn't have to take that long, and by resuming talks in the middle of June, the goal should be to put all of this to bed by the time he reports to training camp in late July.

Hendrickson fulfilled on his threat to miss voluntary workouts, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp. There's little reason to believe he wouldn't miss practically all of training camp at this rate. Signing an extension before camp starts on July 23 would let bygones be bygones, and a defense heading in a new direction under new defensive coordinator Al Golden would have an entire six-week ramp up period with its best player.

It's so simple you wonder why it took this long for both sides to start talking again. Perhaps is was the most important man in the 513 using his influence once again?

Quarterback Joe Burrow was asked last week if whether or not Hendrickson's holdout was a distraction for the team, and he answered as honest as possible.

"Of course. Of course," Burrow said. "Last year we had two (distractions). This year we have one. That's definitely less. You'd love to have none but, you know, that's life in the NFL. We're all supporting Trey, and would love for him to be back."

Burrow has said he doesn't want his voice to determine what gets done inside Paycor Stadium, but no one can deny the front office granting virtually every wish he publicized this year. Chase, Tee Higgins, Mike Gesicki, and Hendrickson were all players he classified as priorities for the club to pay since the conclusion of last season. Hendrickson is the only one without a new deal. 

Is the tide turning on that front? It very well could be.

Camp isn't for another five weeks, and while an agreement between the Bengals and Hendrickson is far from guaranteed within this timeframe, it has to be the goal. There's no reason for talks to resume right as the slowest part of the offseason begins.