Hendrickson went out of his way to still praise Taylor throughout the interview. But he stressed that the fact the message had to come at all seemed to imply the idea that a contr

He won't play with the Bengals this season under his current contract, but left the relationship open-ended. Basically, the ball is in the Bengals' court to improve negotiations with Hendrickson. He is set to earn $15.8 million this season, the final year of his contract with the team.

The Bengals used the No. 17 pick in last month's NFL draft to select Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart, potentially preparing for life without Hendrickson. The 30-year-old told reporters, "Circumstances changed post-draft. They’re starting to change very openly."