There is no question but that Trey Hendrickson is locked in a stalemate with the Cincinnati Bengals over a contract dispute, with the pass-rush star likely to be aiming for a raise in the range of $30 million per year.
The question is all about how long this stalemate lasts.
The defensive end is presently slated to earn a base salary of $15.8 million for the 2025 season after having agreeing to a $21 million extension in July 2023.
But now?
According to ESPN, Hendrickson and the Bengals are not only at an impasse - the 30-year-old star is according to reporter Jeremy Fowler "convicted enough to stay away from the team'' and has "no interest'' in playing on his current salary.
It is worth noting that Fowler doesn't actually quote anybody in this story; rather, he frames it all by utilizing soft phrases like "my read'' and "I do believe.''
But this info seems like it's "leaked'' to us.
And even if these are guesses - all the way up to Hendrickson considering a length and surely nasty holdout - we could agree that they are educated ones.
Cincinnati has done surprisingly good work in this busy offseason in the area of spending, having secured gigantic extensions for star wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Chase got a deal totaling $161 million and Higgins got $115 million.
Is there enough left, cap-wise, to also take care of the other side of the ball after hooking up the guys who are the present and future of the Joe Burrow-led offense?
That can be done.
What about available case? What about the wisdom of paying the four-time Pro Bowler as he's just now on the wrong side of 30? And what about Cincinnati having selected defensive end Shemar Stewart in the first round of the recent NFL Draft, which is no coincidence?
Cincinnati's move for the 21-year-old Texas A&M star, the team claims, was not directly linked to Hendrickson's contract standoff.
But that doesn't sound right. And to Bengals fans, no Hendrickson around here probably doesn't sound very right, either.