Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals are involved in a tempers-flaring contract extension dispute, and they have essentially unplugged from one another.
National media insiders continue to suggest that this relationship will get fixed; the respected Ian Rapoport of NFL Network recently said, "I still believe the Bengals are gonna pay him. ... I still think he is a huge part of the organization, they want him to stay and I believe they will pay him."
We are meanwhile of the belief that Hendrickson's ask might be in the $30 million per year range, and that such a number is hardly outrageous for a premium sack guy who has hit a remarkable 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons.
And maybe it matters that his teammates agree with that.
Quarterback Joe Burrow has thrown his support behind Hendrickson - who has accused the Bengals of lying to him about their commitment to re-do his deal.
And now Ja'Marr chase is joining the chorus.
"He's an amazing player, man," Chase said this week. "I mean, everyone sees it. We all see what he does to this team, the energy he brought back the day he came in.
"We all know he deserves it."
The "it'' is the problem, of course. How much? And when?
Hendrickson is making it clear that he will not play another down in Cincy until a major change is made - he gets a contract extension or a trade.
It's a bold take; the financial ramifications of sitting out an entire season really don't make such an idea sensible.
And a trade? If it's about draft picks, that doesn't help a Bengals team that is trying to win now.
The Bengals have paid Burrow and Chase and Tee Higgins already. That's made this offensive group one of the most loaded in the league.
Will they pay their best defensive player, too? Success in 2025 on that side of the ball may depend on it.