Trey Hendrickson situation keeps getting uglier for Bengals

[ad_1] Cincinnati Bengals famous person edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson has needed a brand new contract all offseason, and the staff — so far — has been unable and unwilling to fulfill his calls for.

With the season inching nearer and talks nonetheless not gaining any floor, the Bengals are actually reportedly listening to commerce affords for Hendrickson, based on a report from NFL Community's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

The whole state of affairs and saga needs to be irritating, and perhaps even infuriating, for Bengals followers and doubtless even loads of Cincinnati gamers.

Hendrickson is among 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 keen to sink enormous cash into the offense.

Hendrickson is ready to make $16M this season, and regardless that he returned to the staff, he has not but touched the apply area. He has additionally stated he is not going to play out the season below his present contract phrases.

Discovering a commerce associate looks like a long-shot at this level given how sophisticated such a transfer can be.

From the Bengals perspective, they would want to get draft decide (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 — most probably top-tier contenders — can be keen to pay that form of draft-pick capital for a participant at this stage of the season.

The staff buying and selling for him can be going to have to have the ability to do what the Bengals have didn't do and truly get Hendrickson signed to a contract and no less than come nearer to assembly his calls for. That can be going to be sophisticated.

Both means, it is a very grim story for the Bengals and their playoff probabilities. They have been a nasty protection with him on the sphere. 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 on account 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 is perhaps organising for an additional season identical to that.