Trey Hendrickson was asked if he is willing to play out this season with the Bengals under his current contract. “No,” he said.
Trey Hendrickson has feuded with the Cincinnati Bengals on the matter of a contract extension for months now. But within the last few weeks, things have taken an ugly turn.
And now he is lowering the boom.
The Bengals and Hendrickson made no progress through the early stages of the offseason. Comments from team executive vice president Katie Blackburn back in April suggested he learn to just “be happy.” …
Which seemed ill-advised.
Cincinnati then turned around and used their first round pick on edge rusher Shemar Stewart, essentially buying some insurance for a future without Hendrickson.
That led to Hendrickson making the matters of the negotiation (or lack thereof) public. Monday, Hendrickson revealed that contract talks had stopped between both sides and he has grown frustrated with the team’s communication.
He appeared in front of reporters on Tuesday to confirm the situation and revealed that he will sit out until he and his camp are able to work past this issue.
Hendrickson was asked if he is willing to play out this season under his current contract.
“No,” he said.
In the process, Hendrickson provided a colorful analogy for his situation.
“I’m a Floridian, so there’s unprovoked shark attacks and provoked shark attacks. The comments that are being made… this is not something where I’m just twiddling my thumbs thinking ‘Oh how can I get the next one-up?’
“They watch me everyday. They see how hard I work. … They see how I carry myself as a human being, and they know me.”
Hendrickson is a four-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro last season, his second consecutive with 17.5 sacks. He will not reset the market for pass rushers, but his current $21 million average per year is far lower than what the premier players at his position are making.
There is speculation that he might be seeking $30 million per year.
This is certainly the peak of the back-and-forth between the sides which would seem to indicate there is one ultimate destination here. If the Bengals will not extend and upgrade Hendrickson’s salary, they should start working to find a trade partner to get some return on him.
Cincinnati has significant resources tied up in deals with Joe Burrow along with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins who got extensions earlier this offseason. A refusal to meet that price shows that they are willing to sacrifice that future if it means providing some financial freedom over the coming years.
Nonetheless, it is an awkward situation for the team as offseason programs are starting to ramp up and one that may lead to an eventual breakup this summer.
