In the text exchange between Trey Hendrickson and Zac Taylor, context becomes critical

Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson said some things on Tuesday. Things a player rarely ever says publicly.

One comment stands out among the rest. He claims that coach Zac Taylor sent a text explaining that, if Hendrickson doesn't show up for next month's mandatory minicamp, he will be fined.

That claim cries out for context. Did Taylor send the message out of the blue? Or was it part of a broader discussion about Hendrickson's failed effort to get a new contract?

It's hard to imagine Taylor taking an unprovoked hard line with a key player. It's easy to envision him eventually reminding Hendrickson about the way the Bengals do business as part of a broader conversation regarding Hendrickson's options when it comes to getting the contract the front office won't give him.

Last year, for example, when receiver Ja'Marr Chase showed up for training camp but didn't practice, they fined him. As we understand it, the team took the position at one point that the fines couldn't be waived — even though they could have been, since Chase was still operating under his rookie deal. (We don't specifically know how all of that eventually worked out.)

The fines for skipping mandatory minicamp can be waived, for any player. Maybe Taylor was simply pointing out to Hendrickson that the Bengals won't do that. That he'll be fined and the money will be collected.

Regardless, two things seem obvious. One, Hendrickson is upset. Two, the text exchange was something more than Taylor deciding without prompting to remind Hendrickson that if he skips the mandatory minicamp, he will be fined.

If the second assumption is wrong, Hendrickson can publish the text exchange. While that would be an unconventional approach, everything he's done so far this week has been extremely unconventional.