Trey Hendrickson
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Bleacher Report's Moe Moton proposed the Washington Commanders acquiring Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
T
he Cincinnati Bengals have a major contract situation on their hands. Since the start of the offseason, the team and star pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson, have been in a dispute over his current contract, with only one year remaining. Looking for an extension and still far apart with the team in negotiations, Hendrickson has not shied away from expressing his discontent with the process.
But things turned from bad to worse on May 13, when Hendrickson met with the media during Bengals’ OTAs. During his press conference, Hendrickson revealed he would sit out if he does not receive a new contract by the start of the season.
Hendrickson’s Comments
Hendrickson made sure to show up to the facility, but did so without ever intending to participate in practice. Wearing street clothes— a blue Nike polo shirt and a black baseball hat, Hendrickson answered questions from reporters, with most questions focused on his contract. And from the looks of it, the situation appears to have no end in sight.
“We’ve tried to keep it as least amount as personal as possible, but at some point in this process it becomes personal,” Hendrickson said to reporters. “Being sent 30 days before mandatory camp, or how many ever days it is, that if I don’t show up I will be fined alludes to the fact that something won’t get done in that time frame. “And when there’s a lack of communication in any relationship, if it’s business or personal relationship, lack of communication leads to animosity, and that leaves my narrative only to me with no clear direction.”
Hendrickson spoke with ESPN’s Adam Schefter on May 12, talking about how he has had little communication with the front office about a new deal. Hendrickson’s comments to Schefter were reportedly fueled by a text message he received from Bengals’ head coach, Zac Taylor, that said he would be fined if he missed minicamp.
What Missing Hendrickson Would Mean for the Bengals
Since joining the Bengals in 2021, Hendrickson has established himself as one of the league’s best pass rushers. In four seasons with the team, Hendrickson has recorded 57 sacks– with 17.5 the last two seasons. Last season, he led the league in sacks en route to being named a First-team All-Pro for the first time in his career. And with the Bengals’ defense largely struggling last season, not having Hendrickson could be detrimental.
But even though the Bengals need him, they have not been fully honest with him during the process. At one point, the team said it would work on a long-term deal for him if he continued to play at a high level, something that he has done. But now, while he wants a long term contract, the Bengals are still pushing for something shorter term. However, even though he and the front office are in a dispute, Hendrickson is still confident that the relationship is fixable.
“That relationship will repair with time,” Hendrickson said. “And same with this. This is just the uncomfortable business side that we’ve unfortunately had to deal with for the last couple years. And quite frankly, I think we’re all spent.”