Trey Hendrickson not seeing eye-to-eye with Bengals
Things have become murkier in Cincinnati, as the Bengals have elected to cut off contract talks with star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
There hasn’t been any communication between the two sides since the NFL Draft last month. This has led to Hendrickson publicly stating that the contract conversations have stalled.
“Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating. I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that’s hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals,” Hendrickson said in the statement via ESPN.
Hendrickson is in the final year of his contract, eyeing a lucrative deal after putting together his campaign. He led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, which earned him an All-Pro selection.
Despite his stellar individual production, the Bengals haven’t moved toward securing him under a long-term deal. The front office has locked in their two star wide receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, into huge contracts.
Chase has become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with his $161 million deal, while Higgins signed a four-year, $115 million contract with $40.9 million total guaranteed.
The Bengals are walking a narrow path with Hendrickson, as the team hasn’t offered him a lengthy deal. In 2023, he was given a one-year extension on the four-year, $60 million deal he inked in free agency in 2021.
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Hendrickson asked for a trade last offseason after a new contract wasn’t offered. He still returned to the team and now finds himself in the same situation.
It may all lead to Hendrickson finding himself playing with another franchise in 2025. Until then, Cincinnati’s situation remains uncertain.
