Cincinnati Bengals famous person edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson has needed a brand new contract all offseason, and the group — up to now — has been unable and unwilling to satisfy his calls for.
With the season inching nearer and talks nonetheless not gaining any floor, the Bengals at the moment are reportedly listening to commerce presents for Hendrickson, in response to a report from NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
The complete scenario and saga must be irritating, and perhaps even infuriating, for Bengals followers and possibly even quite a lot of Cincinnati gamers.
Hendrickson is without doubt one of the NFL’s greatest defensive gamers and was the lone shiny spot on what was one of many league’s worst defensive teams the previous two seasons. He has recorded 17.5 sacks in every of the previous two seasons, main the league in 2024, and has eclipsed the 13.5 mark in 4 of the previous 5 seasons.
And the Bengals haven’t been in a position to pay him, regardless of being prepared to sink large cash into the offense.
Hendrickson is about to make $16M this season, and despite the fact that he returned to the group, he has not but touched the apply area. He has additionally stated he won’t play out the season underneath his present contract phrases.
Discovering a commerce accomplice looks as if a long-shot at this level given how sophisticated such a transfer can be.
From the Bengals perspective, they would wish to get draft decide (or participant) compensation again in return that might make it value it for them to commerce their solely high-end defensive participant. You would need to think about that solely a handful of groups within the league — most definitely top-tier contenders — can be prepared to pay that kind of draft-pick capital for a participant at this stage of the season.
The group buying and selling for him can be going to have to have the ability to do what the Bengals have didn’t do and really get Hendrickson signed to a contract and at the least come nearer to assembly his calls for. That can be going to be sophisticated.
Both means, it is a very grim story for the Bengals and their playoff possibilities. They have been a foul protection with him on the sphere. They are going to be considerably worse with out him. Proper now, it’s trying, a method or one other, like they won’t have him when the season begins, both as a result of a commerce or him refusing to play out his contract.
The Bengals have already wasted a number of years of quarterback Joe Burrow’s prime by surrounding him with a awful protection. This is likely to be establishing for one more season similar to that.
