After finalizing contract extensions for wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Cincinnati Bengals have yet to reach a deal with Trey Hendrickson. The 30-year-old edge rusher is due to become a free agent after the 2025 season and wants to secure a long-term contract well before then.
Hendrickson made a guest appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday morning where he called out the Bengals' front office. He claimed that there's been “poor communication” from the franchise and stated that he's grown frustrated over the negotiation process.
“When I say that communication has been poor I mean that it's been here and there.. We don't have any desire to be the highest paid and we've tried to be as patient as possible.”
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Bengals' executive vice president Katie Blackburn recently opened up about the contract extension talks with Trey Hendrickson. Blackburn stated that the organization believes they've offered the star edge rusher a competitive offer and that Hendrickson “should be happy at certain rates,” per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
“I think he should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn't think he'd be happy at,” Blackburn said. “I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point, and if he's not, you know, that's what holds it up sometimes. So, you know, it takes him to say yes to something, and also, we have all the respect in the world for him. He's been a great player. We're happy to have him. And so maybe we'll find a way to get something to work. We're just gonna see where it goes.”
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Trey Hendrickson responded to that statement during his guest appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” as well. The four-time Pro Bowler stated that he was “disappointed” in Blackburn's comments.
“Those comments from Katie Blackburn were definitely disappointing & communication has been poor over the last couple of months… It's been a little bit frustrating and if they have anything they'd like to discuss we're definitely willing to listen.”
"Those comments from Katie Blackburn were definitely disappointing & communication has been poor over the last couple of months..
It's been a little bit frustrating & if they have anything they'd like to discuss we're definitely willing to listen" ~ Trey Hendrickson #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/C9PUdfKewj
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 2, 2025
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Hendrickson experienced a career year last season after leading the league in sacks. He ended the 2024 campaign with a career-high 46 combined tackles (33 solo), 36 quarterback hits, 17.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. Trey Hendrickson came second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, losing to Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Benedetto Vitale has nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, with expertise in covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and UFC. The Oregon alumni resides in Greenville, South Carolina, and has previous bylines at BroBible.