It’s now been months since Trey Hendrickson started his holdout against the Cincinnati Bengals. But it seems that the Bengals don’t care enough. Otherwise, why would they treat their best defensive player like this when he has been nothing short of phenomenal for them? Overreaction or not, popular opinion is that he does deserve a much better contract. Although there have been no conclusive negotiations between the parties, they have at least returned to the table.
For Trey Hendrickson, however, simply coming to the table isn’t good enough. What’s more important for him is the type of contract that the Bengals bring to him. But at the moment, even that isn’t happening. According to reports, the Bengals had offered Hendrickson a one-year, $28 million contract, which he rejected because they did not meet his demands.
But while Trey keeps on waiting for the Bengals to offer him a contract of his liking, he’s gotten back to training. Reposting the stories of him working out with a fellow DE from the Bengals, Sam Hubbard, and fitness coach Patrick Coyne, Hendrickson seems to be preparing himself to be back on the field. While he had threatened to continue his holdout through the regular season, recent talks, although unsuccessful, have made him hopeful. And the fact that he is training with a fellow Bengals player is even more exciting.
While the first story just showed Trey and Sam riding the wind bike, Patrick posted a second story showcasing Trey’s performance. “New record on wind bike .25 in 2o seconds,” Coyne wrote in the story, showing Hendrickson’s achievement. It also just shows the level at which he performs. Despite being on the holdout for such a long time, Trey has kept himself fit and ready to play whenever the time comes.
December 01, 2024: Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson 91 during NFL, American Football Herren, USA game action against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. /CSM. – ZUMAc04_ 20241201_zma_c04_552 Copyright: xJohnxMersitsx
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, who appeared on The Rich Eisen Show, Trey just wants the Bengals to offer him a multi-year contract that will give him security. “Hendrickson would like to get a multi-year deal that gives him security and keeps him in Cincinnati,” Pelissero said. “To this point, the Bengals just have not stepped up with significant enough of an offer for him to take it. But again, Hendrickson has not been asking for over Myles Garrett,” he added. Making it clear that it’s not the money that concerns Trey, it’s the length of the contract, while referring to Myles Garrett‘s $40 million contract.
But as the blame game over Trey’s holdout continues with one party blaming the other, an unexpected character has come forward to take the blame on his shoulders. And no, it’s not anyone from the Bengals management. Rather, it’s a player.
Joe Burrow doesn’t blame Trey or the Bengals for the holdout
The Bengals’ management does not have any fans amidst their latest adventure with Trey Hendrickson. When the news of Bengals and Trey negotiating dropped, there was hope that an extension would soon be signed. That didn’t happen after they only gave Trey a single-season extension, rather than the multi-year contract he had been asking for, taking us back to square one. And while everyone is blaming the Bengals for not handling this situation with care, there’s one player who refuses to blame either party.
ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, appearing on Get Up, said that Joe Burrow does not blame either of the parties for the holdout and isn’t pointing fingers. “I checked with a source, and I was told that Burrow really doesn’t blame people behind the scenes, front offices, coaching staff, other players, when it comes to football operations. He puts it all on his shoulders and says, ‘Hey, we have to get this done. I’m the quarterback of this franchise, let’s do it,’” Fowler said. This statement reveals the kind of leader Joe is and how he perceives things. It shows how he would take it upon himself to get things done, rather than leave it for anyone else.
While Burrow might not openly blame anyone, he has previously rooted for Trey as he did with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. And he only hopes to get this situation solved quickly, so that he gets back to playing with them.“Now, Burrow has stumped publicly for Trey getting paid. He did the same for Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and those guys got taken care of. So, still the hope for the Bengals’ blueprint is that Hendrickson is the third star that they pay. They are dedicated to it, but they have their limits right now and that’s the issue,” Fowler said.
While there’s no reassurance of what is to happen in the next few weeks, Bengals fans can only hope that Trey gets a contract like those of Higgins and Chase. All so that Hendrickson agrees to play this season and retracts his holdout.
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