Maybe this is a good sign?
The Cincinnati Bengals took the field on Tuesday for voluntary OTAs as the offseason progresses, and Trey Hendrickson was present despite the current tension between him and the front office regarding his contract situation.
He wasn’t there to practice, though. Instead, he stood with local media and shared his perspective on how those contract negotiations have gone. Spoiler alert: not great.
He mentioned to ESPN that he had not been in contact with the front office since the draft concluded. He said that a long-term contract is a sign of mutual respect, and he’s “very disappointed with the communication.”
Hendrickson is coming off back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons and is the defending NFL sack leader. He’s entering the last year of his deal and is owed $15.8 million, which would make him the No. 22 ranked edge rusher in terms of total cash rankings. He’s been clear he wants a long-term extension but said the Bengals are pushing for a shorter deal “pretty hard.”
Outside of Hendrickson, the Bengals don’t have any consistent, proven pass rushers. Without him, their most reliable edge rusher is Joseph Ossai. He finished the 2024 season with five sacks over the last seven games, but relying on that to to extend into 2025 is an awfully big risk, especially considering the defense was largely to blame for the team’s inability to get into the postseason.
The Bengals seem to be content, at least for now, to play with fire and hope they won’t get burnt. Meanwhile, Hendrickson and Bengals fans around the world will continue to hope the team suddenly changes face and does what they need to do to take care of a guy who has been nothing short of incredible in his time in Cincinnati.