Despite having put the pressure on his employer, the Cincinnati Bengals, to get a deal done, Trey Hendrickson may not be receiving the contract extension that he had been hoping for. Hendrickson delivered a career-best season in a contract year for the Bengals last season, becoming the NFL’s leader in sacks(17.5), his second-consecutive season hitting that mark, and making his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl.
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As fans continue to criticize the Bengals for their lack of willingness to budget properly, the team’s executive Vice President, Katie Blackburn, expressed that Hendrickson “should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn’t think he’d be happy at… I think some of it’s on him to be happy at some point.” Turns out Blackburn made these pubic comments without talking to the pass-rusher’s agent first.
Thankfully, the former New Orleans Saint appears to be taking the comments in stride. During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Hendrickson remained poised when talking about Blackburn’s comments and joked about thinking it was an April Fools’ prank.
“Well, yesterday was April Fools, so I was traded to all other 31 teams and had 100 different contracts, so the one thing that I was hoping was an April Fool’s joke was that article. But I called my agent and found out that it was not. That was a little disappointing because communication has been poor over the last couple of months… They have not communicated with my agent directly,” he said.
Despite having clear issues with the process, Hendrickson maintained that he feels “blessed to be in the NFL” and that he is still “excited to be a Bengal.”
Hendrickson’s counterparts just signed massive deals this offseason, with Myles Garrett securing an annual salary of $40 million with the Browns—making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby inked a three-year extension last month worth $35.5 million annually. So, is it any surprise that Hendrickson wants a bigger bag when he is slated to make just over $15 million for the upcoming season?
Hendrickson’s issues also come in the wake of Cincinnati spending almost $300 million to retain both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Considering that he fielded one of the worst defensive units in recent memory, many believe that the franchise should feel more inclined to retain the services of Hendrickson as well. Despite all this, Hendrickson says, “They’re more than welcome to call me.”
As Cincinnati continues to attempt to balance its checkbooks this offseason, many wondered why they waited so long to get deals done with various key players. According to Hendrickson, however, he was assured the past several seasons that the club would address the issues he had with his contract, including long-term security, which the team has yet to reciprocate.
“It was discussed with me, in a meeting, which I am very fortunate to have had, with my agent, that we would get something done this year. So, that being said, last year, go out and play, play to the level you have, and we’ll get it done. That was communicated to me. So, this year, it’s going to get worked on.”
Well, the Bengals certainly got what they wished for. Perhaps thinking that a slight dip in Hendrickson’s performance would manage to save them a few bucks, the team is now forced to negotiate with an NFL sack leader. The franchise seemingly made a bet against their own player, and Hendrickson is gladly doubling down.
