In a statement made to ESPN, Hendrickson said: "Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating."

The Bengals managed to retain their key offensive players by securing new deals for wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and tight end Mike Gesicki. While there have been indications that they want to hold onto Hendrickson to keep their defense intact, it sounds like he simply may be too expensive to keep.

Hendrickson remains adamant that he doesn't want a short-term deal and feels he was promised an extension if he played well before leading the NFL in sacks last season. Earlier this offseason, the team granted him permission to seek a trade that never materialized.