The week of the annual NFL owners meeting can turn into a chance for a star player to voice his desire for a bigger contract, which Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson did on Wednesday.
“We’re happy to have him,” she added. “And so maybe we’ll find a way to get something to work.”
Hendrickson, who requested a trade this offseason, told McAfee that the communication between his agent, Harold Lewis, and the Bengals has been “something that’s been a little bit frustrating” for a while. The Bengals signed Hendrickson in 2021 to a four-year, $60 million deal, and he has made the Pro Bowl every season with the team.
“First off, yesterday was April Fools’ [Day], so I was traded to all 31 teams and had like a hundred different contracts. The one thing I was hoping was an April Fools’ joke [was Blackburn’s comments]. Called my agent, found out it was not, and that was a little disappointing because the communication has been poor over the last couple of months,” Hendrickson told McAfee.
“Open line of communication is always open with me and my agent, so if they have anything they'd like to discuss, we’ve been nothing but willing to listen.”
That said, the Bengals paid two of the team’s biggest stars this offseason—wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Cincinnati signed Chase to a four-year, $161 million contract extension on March 17, and the Bengals inked Higgins to a four-year, $115 million extension on March 17. Hendrickson has thoughts on how their contract situations differ from his.
“Through this process, communication, when I say it’s been poor, it’s been, like, here and there,” Hendrickson explained. “And respect to Ja'Marr and Tee. I don’t want to take anything from all the great things they’ve accomplished in their careers.”
“They deserve everything that they’ve gotten, and no doubt in my mind they’re going to excel in the National Football League. I have a tremendous respect for both of them,” Hendrickson added. “But when it comes to my situation, it would have been nice to know in some ways, like, ‘Hey we’re going to put you in the queue,’ no problem with me.”
“That’s where to read what I read yesterday was confusing, like it’s my decision,” Hendrickson said regarding Blackburn’s contract comments. “I would have been willing to sign three years ago, two years ago, and this year.”
“It was communicated to me we would get something done this year and reiterated with (director of player personnel Duke Tobin’s) comments at the combine,” Hendrickson added. “I treat it like a house now; house value has gone up, it’s the cost of living.”
Hendrickson acknowledged that he wants to be able to participate in organized team activities, which begin later in April, regardless of the contract/trade result. He also expressed his interest in finishing his career with the Bengals, and Hendrickson said he isn’t asking for the best defensive end pay in the league, either.
“In some ways life continues to go forward. I know I’m a football player. I’m training to be the best Trey Hendrickson I can be, and however that looks, whatever team, we can address that,” Hendrickson said.
