You have to empathize with Trey Hendrickson. All his football life, he has been slighted and discounted, yet the production and results speak for themselves. The former Florida Atlantic Owls and New Orleans Saints star has found a home in the Queen City. Unfortunately, his employer in the Cincinnati Bengals seems to be having the swellest of times messing with the edge rusher's money.
Hendrickson relayed to ESPN on Monday that there has been no communication whatsoever between his camp and the Bengals since the 2025 NFL Draft on the topic of giving him a new contract. Cincinnati is and always will be an old-school, mom-and-pop sort of operation. The Bengals do things differently. Then again, they just extended Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins this offseason.
So what is a guy like Hendrickson to do? He shows up to team OTAs dressed like an investment banker, trying to prove his point. Hendrickson has made it abundantly clear that he would prefer to be practicing now. It just so happens that Tuesday is the one day a week that is open to the media. This is so incredibly calculated, but will the perpetually stubborn Bengals get off their rigid stance in this?
Hendrickson is playing on a one-year deal worth $21 million after having his best NFL season to date.
It’s clear Trey Hendrickson wants to be practicing with his team.
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) May 13, 2025
It’s also clear he is here on the one day a week that’s open to the media to make a statement.
Where this ends, I have no idea. pic.twitter.com/mXiKycSw3V
Owner Mike Brown often needs to be convinced of paying his best players, but will come around on it.
Trey Hendrickson attempts to play hardball with his OTAs hold-in of sorts
Entering the 2025 NFL season, one could argue that Hendrickson deserves top of the market money when it comes to being a star edge rusher. So far this offseason, we have seen teams like the Cleveland Browns and the Las Vegas Raiders pay their star pass rushers handsomely in Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby, respectively. The Pittsburgh Steelers also need to pay T.J. Watt at some point, too.
With the 2025 NFL Draft having come and gone, now is the time for the Bengals to lock in on their biggest and best up-for-grabs asset in Hendrickson. Otherwise, he is just going to walk in his free agency next offseason. He has played his very best football in tiger stripes, so why take a chance that somebody else will be allowed to squeeze the last little bit of juice out of his prime. Do not risk this!
Overall, I do believe that the Bengals and Hendrickson will eventually come to an agreement with pen meeting paper. This is because franchise quarterback Joe Burrow holds the ultimate trump card. Whenever he has chosen to flex his leverage in being able to get a player of note played to stay put, it usually happens. Hendrickson is as important to the defense as Burrow is to the Bengals offense.
In time, we can only hope that logic will prevail in Cincinnati between Hendrickson and the Bengals.