The Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson, one of their best defensive players, are still not agreeing on a new contract. Trey Hendrickson is an “edge rusher,” which means he’s a player who tries to stop the other team’s quarterback. The Bengals have a mandatory minicamp starting on June 10. This is a practice that all players must attend, and Hendrickson has to be there.
Right now, Trey has been coming to some of the optional, or voluntary, workouts with the team, but he hasn’t joined in fully or played because he wants a better contract. He has said he was told by the Bengals that if he doesn’t show up for the mandatory camp, he will have to pay a fine (money penalty). Trey is clearly upset and says this feels personal. He thinks this means the team does not plan to fix the contract problem before camp starts.
The Bengals have offered him a contract that would pay him about $28 million each year, but Trey doesn’t like this offer. He wants a bigger contract, closer to what other top players like Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders and Danielle Hunter from the Houston Texans are making. Both Crosby and Hunter get about $35 million per year, which is much more than what the Bengals are offering Hendrickson.
Trey Hendrickson has done really well in the last two years. Last season, he had 17.5 sacks, which means he tackled the opposing quarterback 17 and a half times. Over the past two seasons combined, he has 35 sacks, which is the most in the entire NFL. Even though he will be turning 31 years old in December, he is still playing very well and is very important for the Bengals’ defense to succeed.
Many people think the Bengals should pay him more, especially because they already spent a lot of money on Tee Higgins, a wide receiver (a different position). Higgins is not as valuable to the team as Hendrickson, so it seems strange that the team isn’t willing to give Hendrickson a better deal now.
Hendrickson is proving he is worth a big contract, and the Bengals need to decide soon if they want to keep him happy and playing for them. With camp getting closer, this contract fight is becoming more serious and important for both sides.