Trey Hendrickson Releases Statement And Here's A Hint: He Ain't Happy With Bengals
The Trey Hendrickson contract saga continues with the latest chapter coming from the Cincinnati Bengals All Pro defensive end talking to the media because, apparently, the team hasn't been talking to him.
Hendrickson, about to enter the final year of a contract he signed in 2023, has been negotiating with the Bengals about a contract extension, but those talks have proved fruitless to the extent he's requested a trade not once but twice the past two seasons.
CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 07: Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) reacts during the game against the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals on January 7, 2024, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Hendrickson Statement Of Disappointment
This year's request seemed to fade amid statements from the Bengals they fully intended to keep Hendrickson and sign him to a new deal, but all that talk in public has apparently not resulted in any talk in private of late.
So Hendrickson released a statement on Monday, first to ESPN, and then to the media at large:
"No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft,' the statement reads. "The offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level.
"Coaches are aware of these past conversations.
"Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating. I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that’s hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals."
Nov 17, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) reacts after sacking Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
What Hendrickson Statement Means
So a few things to unpack:
Firstly, the obvious news is the team and the player's agent aren't talking. But OutKick has learned Hendrickson's camp has reached out of late without any conversations resulting from those attempts.
Now, the Bengals have been understandably busy. There was, after all, a draft. And there was, after all, a post-draft rookie minicam that began last Friday.
So the Bengals can say they've put the other stuff on the front burner.
But that doesn't change the fact the club should be able to do two things at once. The Bengals should be able to talk with Hendrickson's camp.
Secondly, Hendrickson not only implies but outright maintains there was a vision he and the Bengals shared about contract numbers last offseason.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - OCTOBER 15: Trey Hendrickson #91 and Sam Hubbard #94 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrate with teammates after a sack during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Paycor Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Hendrickson Definitely Due For Raise
That is not by any means a signal that parameters to a deal were in sight last year. But a ballpark was obviously part of those talks last year.
And the sides are not at those numbers because, according to Hendrickson, the Bengals have not been offering him a deal close to the talks a year ago.
That's interesting because the price of a bona-fide premier edge rusher has climbed in the past year. Maxx Crosby got a huge deal from the Raiders, averaging $35.5 million on an average annual basis. And Myles Garrett got another huge deal, this from the Cleveland Browns, that eventually made him the NFL's highest-paid defensive player, averaging $40 million per season.
Hendrickson, who led the NFL in sacks the past two seasons, is currently the 11th highest paid edge rusher. He makes $21 million per season on an average annual basis.
So what's the solution here?
Well, unless the Bengals resume talks with Hendrickson, there is no solution. That would probably result in him asking to be traded again – which hasn't really gotten him anywhere so far.
The Bengals have designs on competing for a Super Bowl in 2025. They will obviously call Hendrickson again.
Whether that communication results in a contract extension is another matter.