Trey Hendrickson’s contract drama in Cincinnati seems to be never-ending. The talented EDGE rusher has been seeking a contract extension from the Bengals for some time now. He was granted a trade request last year that saw the Washington Commanders the most likely destination for Hendrickson. That did not materialize and now the Bengals have all the power in the contract negotiations. Hendrickson went as far as to threaten to retire last season if he did not get his expected salary increase in his contract with the Bengals.
How did Trey Hendrickson find himself in this terrible position?
Trey Hendrickson was selected by the the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. He would end up playing four season in the “big easy” and was then traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. He played well enough to earn three Pro Bowl nods in the first three seasons with the Bengals. His skills are not in doubt as in 2024, Hendrickson was named First-Team All-Pro after leading the NFL in sacks for the second consecutive season.
The problem is that he is now considered a veteran and at a point in his career where he is due a big money contract after proving his worth in the NFL. He is widely known as a leader in the Cincinnati locker room and poses a serious threat to any offense in the NFL. So what’s the problem? The Bengals have had championship ambitions in the past few decades, no doubt due to Hendrickson’s effect on the team.
The Bengals have come so close to the ultimate prize in recent decades. The Bengals won the AFC championship in 1981, 1988, and in 2021. After each of the 1981 and 1988 conference championships, they went on to lose to the San Francisco 49ers, in Super Bowls XVI and XXIII. For a team that has big ambitions, never winning the Super Bowl has got to hurt. The possibilities for the NFL has become greater than ever.
Can the Cleveland Browns and Trey Hendrickson negotiate a new contract?
The answer to that is hopefully, yes. The Cincinnati Bengals have the upper hand in the contract negotiations as they hold all the cards. If Hendrickson wants to play in the NFL this season, he will most likely need to bring his expectations down a little. The Bengals have specifically pointed to his salary expectations as the major issue in the negotiations.
The Bengals have stated that they want to increase his pay with the new contract extension. So the contract extension was on the cards, perhaps the two parties were at a disagreement as to the value of the player. After the defensive star threatened retirement if he did not get his way, the Bengals granted him a trade, but nothing came of it, so now he’s kind of stuck between a Bengal and a hard place.
Trey Hendrickson has too much ability and experience for that to happen, he led the league in sacks so the evidence of his effectiveness is there for the whole world to see. The Bengals will certainly offer him a contract, for how long and how much is yet to be determined. But NFL insiders have pointed out that the “vibes are good in Ciny” so we can only wait and see.
What will the 2025 season look like for Hendrickson and the Bengals?
After the drama of the NFL draft this year, in which the Cincinnati selected EDGE Shemar Stewart out of Texas A&M, this season is beginning to look like very interesting indeed. Trey Hendrickson has some weight to his contract claims, as the best EDGE in the league for the past few season, he is partially responsible for the success happening in Cincinnati. But everyone is replaceable, something that is true no matter how good you are at your job. Would the Bengals go so far as to let a player of his stature sit on the bench? We think not.
