While the confrontation with superstar wide receiver Tee Higgins has been brewing throughout the entire offseason for the Cincinnati Bengals, the strained relationship with elite defensive end Trey Hendrickson appeared to be a huge surprise. While Higgins is in his first real contract year as an NFL player, Hendrickson just signed a contract extension last season and one would think that he wouldn’t have any major complaints until at least a year before his contract expires. Well, it looks like that certainly isn’t the case.
Cincinnati Bengals to Discuss Contract with Elite Defensive End
Last week, Hendrickson stunned the entire professional football community when he demanded a trade from Cincinnati, a franchise that he has excelled with since he joined them in the 2021 offseason. Since then, Hendrickson has been one of the best pass rushers in the entire NFL as he has accumulated 39.5 sacks over the past three seasons. That level of success earned him a contract extension last season where Cincinnati added an extra year onto his contract, taking it into the 2026 offseason.
It appears that Hendrickson acquired cold feet over the past few weeks as he demanded a trade from the organization last Friday, one day ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. It was reported that he was demanding a trade to push for a long-term extension from the club. Unfortunately for Hendrickson, for any team to give him a contract past the age of 32 at this point in his career would be an outlier. Hendrickson may not be receiving the top dollar that he believes he deserves, but since he’s locked in for another two season in Cincinnati, it is unlikely that he is going anywhere.
Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor recently emphasized that point by establishing what he believes will come of Hendrickson’s potential holdout.
“You let Trey voice his concerns. I’m listening. I’ve got an open ear to him. I love Trey. I’ve told Trey that,” Taylor said. “We want Trey to play here next year for us. He’s gonna play here next year for us. He’s gonna have success, and we’re gonna have success and I’m excited or that.”
There have been select few times where the Cincinnati front offices have caved to players demanding a trade and only a handful have occurred during our lifetimes. While Hendrickson is threatening retirement if he doesn’t receive an extension, his focus on the financials undermines that threat because he wouldn’t be able to play for another team for at least two seasons. By that point, a 32-year old defensive end who hasn’t played in three years would be completely untouchable to an organization. Hendrickson will likely be on the field for the Bengals this upcoming season.
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