Cincinnati Bengals famous person edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson has needed a brand new contract all offseason, and the crew — thus far — has been unable and unwilling to fulfill 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 gives for Hendrickson, in keeping with a report from NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
The whole scenario and saga needs to be irritating, and perhaps even infuriating, for Bengals followers and possibly even a variety of Cincinnati gamers.
Hendrickson is likely one of the NFL’s finest defensive gamers and was the lone brilliant 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 enormous cash into the offense.
Hendrickson is about to make $16M this season, and although he returned to the crew, he has not but touched the follow area. He has additionally stated he won’t play out the season below his present contract phrases.
Discovering a commerce associate looks like a long-shot at this level given how sophisticated such a transfer can be.
From the Bengals perspective, they would want to get draft decide (or participant) compensation again in return that will make it price 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 — almost certainly top-tier contenders — can be prepared to pay that type of draft-pick capital for a participant at this stage of the season.
The crew buying and selling for him can also be going to have to have the ability to do what the Bengals have did not do and truly get Hendrickson signed to a contract and at the least come nearer to assembly his calls for. That can also be going to be sophisticated.
Both manner, this can be a very grim story for the Bengals and their playoff possibilities. They had been a nasty protection with him on the sector. 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 because 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 may be establishing for one more season similar to that.
