The Pittsburgh Steelers week is off to a flying start in part thanks to the actions of those around them. Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens, previously of the Steelers, is proving why Pittsburgh traded him just last week. Former safety and special teams ace Damontae Kazee was forced to sign with the Cleveland Browns. And now, Cincinnati Bengals star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson put his team on blast.
Hendrickson released a statement to ESPN's Adam Schefter, and it wasn't kind to the Bengals front office to say the least.
“No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft. 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," Hendrickson and his agency wrote.
Cincinnati Bengals know how to make the Steelers' day
Yikes! So, essentially the Bengals kept Hendrickson in the dark after promising him they'd communicate on a possible contract extension. Hendrickson is a valuable asset for Cincinnati, which has had its struggles on defense. In 2024, Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks and was first-team All-Pro. He had 17.5 sacks in 2023 as well.
The issue with Hendrickson's trade value is his age. He's on the wrong side of 30 years old and needs a new contract. That being said, he's just about a year older than Myles Garrett, who received a record-breaking extension from the Cleveland Browns this offseason. That's right – the Bengals are more dysfunctional than the Browns in this sense.
If Cincinnati were interested in trading Hendrickson, they'd have plenty of suitors. There would be plenty of haggling but the Bengals would have every right to demand a first-round pick from the jump, even if unrealistic.
As for the Steelers, all they should do is sit back and watch. Their own misfortune is coming in the form of TJ Watt, who is due an extension of his own and is 30 years old as well. For now, though, the Steelers are acting as they should. There's a reason they've set the standard for this division.