Cincinnati Bengals famous person edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson has wished a brand new contract all offseason, and the group — up to now — has been unable and unwilling to satisfy his calls for.
With the season inching nearer and talks nonetheless not gaining any floor, the Bengals at the moment are reportedly listening to commerce presents for Hendrickson, in keeping with a report from NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
Your complete scenario and saga must be irritating, and possibly even infuriating, for Bengals followers and doubtless even loads of Cincinnati gamers.
Hendrickson is likely one of the NFL’s finest defensive gamers and was the lone vivid spot on what was one of many league’s worst defensive teams the previous two seasons. He has recorded 17.5 sacks in every of the previous two seasons, main the league in 2024, and has eclipsed the 13.5 mark in 4 of the previous 5 seasons.
And the Bengals haven’t been capable of pay him, regardless of being prepared to sink large cash into the offense.
Hendrickson is ready to make $16M this season, and although he returned to the group, he has not but touched the apply area. He has additionally stated he is not going to play out the season underneath his present contract phrases.
Discovering a commerce accomplice looks like a long-shot at this level given how difficult such a transfer can be.
From the Bengals perspective, they would want to get draft choose (or participant) compensation again in return that may make it price it for them to commerce their solely high-end defensive participant. You would need to think about that solely a handful of groups within the league — almost certainly top-tier contenders — can be prepared to pay that form of draft-pick capital for a participant at this stage of the season.
The group buying and selling for him can also be going to have to have the ability to do what the Bengals have did not do and truly get Hendrickson signed to a contract and at the very least come nearer to assembly his calls for. That can also be going to be difficult.
Both means, it is a very grim story for the Bengals and their playoff probabilities. They had been a foul protection with him on the sector. They are going to be considerably worse with out him. Proper now, it’s wanting, a method or one other, like they won’t have him when the season begins, both as a consequence of a commerce or him refusing to play out his contract.
The Bengals have already wasted a number of years of quarterback Joe Burrow’s prime by surrounding him with a awful protection. This could be establishing for one more season identical to that.
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