Trey Hendrickson's contract extension could be in jeopardy thanks to a tone-deaf comment from their executive

Cincinnati Bengals star defensive end Trey Hendrickson has made very clear that he wants a new contract after leading the league in sacks last season.

But negotiations between he and the team have been anything but cordial. Hendrickson blasted the organization for poor communication over his contract statement by their director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, when he was a guest on "The Pat McAfee Show" during Super Bowl week.

As Cincy's attention turned to retaining both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in order to appease star quarterback Joe Burrow, Hendrickson was told he could seek a trade just before the beginning of free agency. But the talks went nowhere as the team's asking price was "ridiculous".

Once both Chase and Higgins both signed new deals, Hendrickson figured to finally have his turn. But that optimism has quickly faded. And now Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn may have torpedoed the whole thing when she was interviewed about the status at this week's annual NFL meeting.

“I think he should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn't think he'd be happy at. I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point, and if he's not, you know, that's what holds it up sometimes. So, you know, it takes him to say yes to something, and also, we have all the respect in the world for him. He's been a great player. We're happy to have him. And so maybe we'll find a way to get something to work. We're just gonna see where it goes.”

Blackburn's tone-deaf comment could come back to haunt to Bengals

For those who do not know Blackburn, she has been working for the Bengals since 1991, and her husband, Troy, is also an executive with the Bengals. More importantly, she is the daughter of Bengals owner Mike Brown and the granddaughter of Bengals co-founder and first coach Paul Brown. Yes, she is in fact a nepo baby.

What stood out most in her comments was "I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point." Cincinnati is trying to make Hendrickson look bad for not being content with their offer or what he is being paid now. Needless to say, Hendrickson was not pleased with her comments, and appeared on "The Pat McAfee Show" again this week.

Hendrickson's complaints about the communication issues highlight the problems that have plagued a dysfunctional organization under Mike Brown's ownership for decades. You have to wonder who is in charge of the negotiation here: Blackburn or Tobin? No wonder the Bengals received poor grades in the recent NFLPA's annual survey.

While they went above and beyond to keep both Chase and Higgins, if they lose Hendrickson either this offseason via trade or next year via free agency the fans will always remember Blackburn's tone-deaf comments, and any goodwill they'll have for keeping Chase and Higgins will dissipate quickly.