Trey Hendrickson says it has become "personal" with Zac Taylor after "disappointing" text exchange

Trey Hendrickson is not participating in the Bengals' voluntary offseason program as a show of displeasure over his contract. He is training elsewhere but showed up Tuesday to voice his displeasure with the team and with head coach Zac Taylor.

Reporters are allowed to one practice a week during the offseason program, and Hendrickson watched in street clothes before voicing his grievances to beat reporters after a text exchange Taylor.

Taylor told Hendrickson the Bengals would fine him if he didn't show up for the mandatory minicamp in June. Hendrickson, who is under contract for 2025, would be subject to a $16,459 fine for missing the first day, $32,920 for the second day and $49,374 for the third day, something Hendrickson surely was already aware.

“A little bit transpired between me and Zac," Hendrickson said, via Mike Petraglia of clnscincy.com. "We’ve tried to keep it as least amount as personal as possible, but at some point in this process, it’s 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. With 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 informed them 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. I think that was the word of the offseason."

Hendrickson made clear he will not play this season under his current deal. He is scheduled to make a base salary of $15.8 million with a salary cap hit of $18.6 million in 2025.

As with the mandatory minicamp, Hendrickson would be subject of daily fines for missing training camp. But he is not thinking that far ahead.

“I don’t have a predictive analysis,” Hendrickson said, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I’ve been hoping for the best through the entire process. The only thing that alluded to fines was the text I got yesterday from Zac. I thought this was a little early to talk about fines personally with how I’ve conducted myself. I’m incredibly humbled to talk about a potential extension. That’s the part that’s disappointing. Hard work works. I’m a firm believer in that. It’s disappointing.”