For the entire offseason, the Bengals are doing what the Cowboys do best. Delay the contract of their players. The Bengals’ most reliable pass rusher has spent months seeking clarity. After leading the NFL with 17 sacks and amassing 35 in two seasons—more than any other player—Trey Hendrickson went from being a key member of the team to a contract ghost. A cold text warning of $50K fines. A permission slip to seek a trade. And a locker room filled with uncertainty, while Joe Burrow tiptoed around phrases like ‘distraction.’
And yet Hendrickson showed up. In full Bengals gear. Not on a practice field, but inside Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, smiling and posing like nothing happened. The hospital’s Instagram caption read: “We had a great ‘dey’ at our @ryanfoundation #SeacrestStudios with a visit from @bengals defensive end @trey_hendrickson91! Thanks for spending time with our patients!” Was it a turning point? Or just a PR pit stop?
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Hendrickson isn’t even requesting top dollar like Myles Garrett. The Garret deal stands at $40 million. The reported offer from the Bengals is about $28 million per year, which would put him one slot below T.J. Watt’s 2021 contract as the eighth-highest paid edge rusher. For an extremely important player, that is a huge ‘meh.’ The conflict now revolves around respect and not money. As per Adam Schefter, “This is really troubling. I think because these two sides have been at this for so long, and yes, they’re talking, but they’re not making any progress. They cannot even agree on the length of the deal right now, forget about the numbers.”
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