Trey Hendrickson, the four-time Pro Bowler who departed on the heels of five years with the Cincinnati Bengals’ franchise tag. He is fighting hard to get a long term deal done with the team. The 31-year-old defensive end took to Twitter yesterday to air his grievances with stalled contract talks, which have turned personal over the last few weeks. Hendrickson’s present-year contract has one year tacked onto his initial four-year, $60 million deal signed in 2021. This season, he’ll make a non-guaranteed base salary of $15.8 million.
Hendrickson is advocating not just for an immediate long-term deal but a comprehensive future agreement. He needs to hear straight answers about his long-term status with the club. He dropped a strong hint that he’d be looking for a trade. If baseball doesn’t accept his demands by the start of 2024, he’s prepared to strike. Communication has been the sad theme for the failure of his contract discussions. This breakdown, Hendrickson feels, has led to a rift between him and the Bengals.
The 30-year-old forward—who married her college sweetheart in May—noted that good communication is key to any relationship, personal or otherwise. He stated, “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 led the entire NFL in sacks last season, setting a career-high with 17.5. His stupendous play has deservedly made him one of the league’s most recognized and celebrated defensive stars. Together with star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, he led the Bengals to snap a nine-year streak in which they failed to produce an All-Pro. This success has only stoked Hendrickson’s hunger for a contract more befitting someone who helped elevate the Bucs to their current statures.
In recent weeks, discussions of a Hendrickson contract have reached a fever pitch. As an example, he pointed to Myles Garrett’s contract extension with the Cleveland Browns. That deal averages $40 million per year, and he has viewed it as a floor for his own negotiations. Hendrickson believes the way he’s played over the past two seasons deserves the Bengals investing in him for the same length.
Even with all that controversy, Hendrickson says he’s still optimistic about repairing any bridges burned with the Bengals’ front office. He stood at a podium and spoke for more than 20 minutes with reporters about his contract situation. He categorically denied assertions that the Bengals had maintained regular contact with him since the NFL draft back in April.
Hendrickson acknowledged that at the negotiating table, discomfort is never a pleasant experience. He added that it was critical to compartmentalize personal animosity from commercial transactions. “We’ve tried to make this as personal as possible, that’s all we’re asking him to do,” he added. There’s a juncture in this process where it simply becomes personal.
For Hendrickson, he’s already preparing for offseason workouts. He is advocating for the kind of long-term solution that would give him security and clarity moving forward with the Bengals. He knows firsthand how tough it can be navigating contract disputes but is still laser focused on identifying the common ground.
Leave a Reply