Bengals face uncertainty with Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart ahead of start of training camp

CINCINNATI (AP) – Coach Zac Taylor hopes Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart will be his starting defensive ends when the Bengals open the season on Sept. 7 at Cleveland.

The odds of both players being on the field when training camp practices open on Wednesday though are slim.

Stewart, the 17th overall pick in April’s draft, did not report with the rest of Cincinnati’s rookies on Saturday. The Bengals’ veterans, including Hendrickson, are scheduled to report on Tuesday.

“Those two guys are guys I have tremendous regard for. Trey and Shemar, we wouldn’t have them here if we didn’t believe in them as people and players,” owner Mike Brown said on Monday. “Things like this happen in the NFL. We accept it. We don’t internalize it. We’re not trying to hold grudges or anything like that. We have to do what’s best for our football team. If I thought we were being unfair in ways, it would be a different story. But I don’t.”

Taylor said he talked to Hendrickson a couple of days ago, but wasn’t sure if he would see him this week.

Hendrickson was an All-Pro selection last season after he led the league with 17 1/2 sacks. He did not attend last month’s mandatory minicamp, but did make an appearance during an offseason workout in May to vent his frustrations about negotiations.

Hendrickson is seeking a long-term extension with an amount of guaranteed money that matches what the league’s top pass rushers are earning. He is scheduled to earn $15.8 million in base salary and has a cap number of $18.7 million.

“He’s earned a raise and an extension, and we’ll continue to see if we can come together on something,” director of player personnel Duke Tobin said. “Having good players is a good problem to have, and we’ve got a lot of good players, and we’ve got a lot of highly paid players, and fitting it together is what we’re working for.”

Tobin took an opposite approach in discussing Stewart, who is the only first-round pick who hasn’t signed.

The Bengals and Stewart are deadlocked over contract language that could potentially void future guarantees if there are any off-field incidents.

Other teams have had that language, but this is the first time Cincinnati is trying to include that provision with a first-round pick.

“It’s a very peculiar thing, it isn’t about money. That’s been agreed to for months,” Brown said. “It is a negotiation that has reached the level of, I can only think of a word I shouldn’t use here, but it’s silliness. We’ll have to wait until we get a better result. I think eventually that’s going to happen. I don’t think it’s going to happen today or tomorrow, but at some point it will.”

The two sides though have been at odds since Stewart was drafted on April 24. Stewart did not sign an injury waiver to practice with teammates during offseason workouts while still unsigned, a rare move by a rookie player.

“I think Shemar needs to be here. The number one thing a young player can do is have a fast start and have a good rookie season. That normally translates into a long productive NFL career and he needs to be here getting to work on it,” Tobin said.

Tobin tried to deflect blaming Stewart, instead going after his agent, Zac Hiller.

“He’s listening to the advice that he’s paying for. I don’t understand or believe or agree with the advice. But I’m not the one paying for it,” Tobin said. “If I thought we were treating him unfairly as it relates to all the other draft picks in this year’s draft, then maybe it’d be a different story. But we’re not. Again, I don’t fully understand where things are there.”

Hiller said in a text message to The Associated Press: “Duke Tobin has had no involvement in this negotiation. It seems to be above his pay grade.”

Defensive coordinator Al Golden is hoping to see both players as soon as possible. The Bengals (9-8 last season) finished 25th in the league in total defense (348.3 yards allowed per game) and lost four games last season in which they scored at least 30 points.

“I think the transition will be easier for Trey, cause we’re gonna ask him to do things that are in the realm of his skill set, whereas Shamar has to learn our core fundamentals and implement everything that he’s learned off the field and on the field, so that’s gonna take some time,” said Golden, who is in his first year as defensive coordinator.

“There’s a time constraint on what he’s done on the field and obviously we need to get him out there and and get him going.”