![\"Cincinnati](\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/ar_4:3%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_srgb%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_1200\/MjEzNzE3NzIzNzc4MTMxNDA3\/trey-hendrickson-and-the-bengals-bank.png\")
<\/p>\nA new report from Jeremy Fowler suggests Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson’s holdout could continue even longer.<\/p>\n
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The\u00a0Cincinnati Bengals\u00a0earned themselves some goodwill with their massive contract extensions for receivers\u00a0Ja\u2019Marr Chase\u00a0and Tee Higgins. However, neither move helped mitigate the team\u2019s biggest issue \u2013 an unforgivably poor defense.<\/p>\n
Merely retaining defensive talent won\u2019t be enough to improve for 2025, but the Bengals cannot afford to enter the year with less star power than it left last season. As such, edge rusher Trey Hendrickson\u2019s ongoing holdout is the biggest problem facing the team late in the offseason.<\/p>\n
Cincinnati has pushed off paying him like the elite pass rusher he has become, and in doing so has put its pass rush in jeopardy.<\/p>\n
Bengals\u00a0fans received bad news about a potential Hendrickson contract extension on Wednesday, when ESPN reported that he has \u201cno interest\u201d in playing on his current deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere’s no update with defensive end Trey Hendrickson’s contract situation, which is at a stalemate,\u201d\u00a0Jeremy Fowler wrote. \u201cMy read on the situation is that Hendrickson is convicted enough to stay away from the team, having no interest in playing on his scheduled $16 million salary in 2025. Right now this is a waiting game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simply put, the Bengals don\u2019t have a ton of leverage. Hendrickson is far and away the best player on this defense. There\u2019s no true co-star on the defensive line, and the team didn\u2019t add any notable pass rushers in free agency.<\/p>\n
![\"Trey](\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/.image\/t_share\/MjEzMzAxNjg1ODY1NDI0MzM1\/usatsi_25047099.jpg\")
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They attempted to rectify this in Round 1, drafting hybrid edge rusher Shemar Stewart, but he\u2019s far more proven against the run than the pass, even if his upside comes from the latter.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, at least in the short term, Shemar Stewart could assume the Hendrickson role in the defense,\u201d Fowler said. \u201cBut I do believe the drafting of Stewart isn’t totally tied to Hendrickson’s situation. Cincinnati likes not only Stewart’s explosiveness, but his positional flexibility at 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds.\u201d<\/p>\n
The best thing for\u00a0Stewart\u2019s\u00a0development is having a star opposite him to take attention away. The two should amplify each other, with improved run defense on Stewart\u2019s behalf opening pass-rushing opportunities for the entire defense.<\/p>\n
For the short- and long-term future of the organization, locking in Hendrickson is important. There is risk in extending an edge rusher deeper into his 30s, but in a\u00a0Super Bowl\u00a0window, Cincinnati doesn\u2019t have the luxury of playing games with its biggest stars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A new report from Jeremy Fowler suggests Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson’s holdout could continue even longer. The\u00a0Cincinnati Bengals\u00a0earned themselves some goodwill with their massive contract… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cincinnati-bengals"],"yoast_head":"\n