Under pressure from their star quarterback Joe Burrow this off-season, the Cincinnati Bengals broke the bank when they reached an agreement with their star receivers, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase signed a four-year, $161 million extension, while Higgins finally signed a four-year, $115 million extension after being franchise-tagged for the second straight year.
Meanwhile, edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is still waiting for his new contract. Dianna Russini of "The Athletic" wrote that the team is working to retain him, despite allowing the edge rusher to seek a trade.
However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Wednesday that "it's entirely possible" that Trey Hendrickson will sit out the entire 2025 season if he doesn't get a new contract.
Trey Hendrickson is willing to take extreme measures to get what he wants from Bengals
Hendrickson has to be the most frustrated player in the NFL right now. He was told he could seek a trade and yet, all reports indicate that the Bengals are committed to keeping him. But the market for the defensive end has since significantly changed.
It began earlier this month when Maxx Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million. That contract was eclipsed when Myles Garrett signed a record extension with Cleveland, effectively putting an end to his desire to be traded. And the Houston Texans gave Danielle Hunter a one-year extension worth $35.6 million.
Burrow already used his voice during Super Bowl media week to put pressure on the organization to keep their star players. It worked out well for Burrow, who has Chase and Higgins to throw the ball for the next four years. It would be hard for Hendrickson to accept anything less than $35 million per season at this point. Burrow must use his influence to go to bat for Hendrickson because Burrow can only do so much on his own.
Considering how bad their defense was last season, Hendrickson knows not having him on their defense would cripple the entire team as you cannot win every game in a shootout. Even if they come to terms with him on a new contract, they still need to add more pieces in the draft to upgrade their defense.
Hendrickson's threat to sit out this upcoming season is a calculated decision. While no one truly believes he will not sit out the 2025 season, the negotiation with Hendrickson will be another hurdle they must overcome this off-season.