The Bengals and star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson remain at an impasse.
Hendrickson will not attend the Bengals’ mandatory minicamp, according to multiple reports.
Hendrickson is heading into the final year of his contract and wants a raise from the $16 million he’s scheduled to make this season. Skipping minicamp will cost him some money in the short term as the Bengals will fine him $105,000, but he’s hoping it works to persuade the team to give him the kind of long-term deal he’s looking for.
The 30-year-old Hendrickson has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL since the Bengals signed him in 2021. He’s made the Pro Bowl all four of his seasons in Cincinnati, was a first-team All-Pro last season, and has 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons.
Cincinnati has prioritized offense in keeping its best players together, with quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins all getting big deals. Now Hendrickson wants to see the Bengals invest in defense, and in making him among the highest-paid pass rushers in football.
The Bengals are moving on from Germaine Pratt.
Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, Cincinnati will release the veteran linebacker on Monday.
Pratt, 29, requested a trade from Cincinnati back in February. But the Bengals held onto him until the tail end of the offseason program.
Pratt was set to make $5.2 million in base salary for the last year of his contract. By releasing him, the Bengals will save $5.85 million against the cap.
A third-round pick in 2019, Pratt had spent his entire career with the Bengals. He registered 143 total tackles with five tackles for loss, four QB hits, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles in 2024.
Former NFL defensive back Adam “Pacman” Jones was arrested in Covington, Kentucky, early Saturday morning. He was charged with alcohol intoxication in a public place, disorderly conduct and assault of a police officer.
He posted a $10,000 bond and was released around 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
His agent, Peter Schaffer, released a statement on behalf of Jones.
“The recent arrest of Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones in Covington, Kentucky, is yet another example of overzealous policing and the systemic issues that plague our justice system,” the statement reads. “Adam did nothing wrong other than exercise his right to ask why he was being detained — a fundamental question that every citizen should be allowed to ask without fear of retaliation.
“Initially, officers claimed he was being arrested for assault and then shifted to public intoxication (which, in itself, is not a crime in many jurisdictions unless it leads to dangerous behavior), and finally settled on disorderly conduct — simply for asking why he was being detained. This pattern of escalating and inconsistent charges is a clear abuse of authority and demonstrates a troubling trend of police officers prioritizing their own discretion over constitutional rights.
“Adam, like every American, is innocent until proven guilty. Yet, once again, his past is being weaponized against him in the court of public opinion, while the officers involved face no scrutiny for their conduct. The repeated mischaracterization of his encounters with law enforcement — often stemming from minor incidents — only reinforces the need for accountability in policing.
“Enough is enough. People should not be arrested for asking questions, and police should not be allowed to fabricate charges simply because they don’t like the tone of a conversation. This type of behavior erodes trust in law enforcement and undermines justice. Adam deserves fairness, not another headline designed to paint him as a villain for clicks.
“We call for a full and transparent review of this arrest, and we stand firm in the belief that no one should be treated as guilty before they’ve even had their day in court.”
Former NFL defensive back Adam “Pacman” Jones is back in legal trouble.
Jones was booked into jail in Kenyon County, Kentucky early on Saturday morning after being arrested in Covington. According to police, via WCPO, officers responded to “a report of a disturbance involving a customer and an employee” at a bar and Jones was taken into custody.
Jones was taken to jail and allegedly assaulted the arresting officer while being booked. He is charged with that assault, disorderly conduct and public intoxication. He is set to appear in court on Monday.
Jones was arrested in Las Vegas last year after the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight on similar charges and he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct charges related to an incident that led to him being removed from a flight at Cincinnati’s airport in 2023. Jones also served a short stint in jail after pleading no contest to two misdemeanor assault charges in 2021 and had a number of other arrests during his playing career, including charges related to a shooting outside a Las Vegas strip club in 2007.
The NFL suspended Jones for a full season after that arrest. Jones, who was a 2005 first-round pick, was playing for the Titans at the time and he went on to play for the Cowboys, Bengals, and Broncos after being reinstated.
As a third-round draft pick last year, Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton had a disappointing rookie season, culminating in the Bengals benching him for the season finale and not even letting him take the trip to Pittsburgh. Burton says that got his attention.
“Nobody should be happy with it,” Burton said. “I was very disappointed, but it’s something that I moved on from, and grew from, and can’t wait, looking forward, really looking forward to this year.”
Burton said he spent the offseason thinking about how he can be a better professional.
“Sleepless nights, honestly, just sitting there thinking,” Burton said. “I could sit there and just think about football all night. And it’s just something that I love, and something that I really enjoy doing. So I want to do the best that I can to be the better player I can be.”
Asked about that season finale in Pittsburgh, Burton said, “I really wish I was there, but like I said, the situation I moved on from and I really can’t wait for this year.”
Burton says he is committed to improving both on and off the field.
“I’m just trying my best to be the best player I can be, just coming up with better habits, better routines, and just trying to stay consistent,” Burton said. “I learned a lot of things last year, but you really got to be a professional in this league.”
