NFL insider explains Trey Hendrickson's communication problems with Bengals only to reveal another layer of ambiguity
It's been clear and obvious that the Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson aren't seeing eye to eye on a new contract. The club allowed Hendrickson to seek a trade last month, and despite reports of Cincinnati wanting to get a deal done, recent comments from executive vice president Katie Blackburn and then Hendrickson himself suggest […]
It's been clear and obvious that the Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson aren't seeing eye to eye on a new contract. The club allowed Hendrickson to seek a trade last month, and despite reports of Cincinnati wanting to get a deal done, recent comments from executive vice president Katie Blackburn and then Hendrickson himself suggest a deal is not imminent at all.
This was a plausible reality from the jump. Hendrickson is a fantastic player and nearly won Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 after leading the NFL in sacks, but the Bengals have shied away from giving out large salaries to most players age 30 and older. Hendrickson turned 30 last December, and it's clear that the club doesn't want to commit too many years and dollars to him past a certain point in his career.
That's all been established. What recently came to light is the fact that communication between the Bengals and Hendrickson has been "poor" according to the All-Pro defensive end.
"They have not communicated with my agent directly," Hendrickson said Wednesday on the Pat McAfee Show. "It's been something that's been a little bit frustrating. But again, this is the business of it."
This is the aspect that's truly fascinating about the dilemma. Why aren't the Bengals communicating effectively with Hendrickson if the goal is to get a deal done? Whom is Hendrickson's camp talking to instead? There is a possible explanation to all of this, and it doesn't make the team look great.
Explaining the Bengals' communication problems with Trey Hendrickson
Because the Bengals don't have a traditional general manager, the delegation of responsibilities among front office members is purposely ambiguous. But when a large deal needs to be worked on, Blackburn is at the forefront of negotiating it. Director of player personnel Duke Tobin is also involved, but Blackburn talking directly with the agent has been standard operating procedure.
According to The 33rd Team's NFL insider Ari Meirov, communication between Hendrickson's agent, Harold Lewis, and Blackburn and Tobin has not been frequent. Instead, Lewis has been referred to other members of the front office.
"There's been very little communication with Katie Blackburn and Trey's side, very little negotiation with Duke Tobin and Trey's side," Meirov said. "For the most part, they've been giving the communication over to people who are number three, number four, number five in that front office. And that is not the way it should be done.
"So when Trey says the communication has been poor, part of the problem is the people who actually make the decision they're supposed to be talking about this, are not talking to Trey's people. So that has been an issue as well."
So, who is number three, four, and five in the pecking order? That could be director of pro scouting Steven Radicevic, senior personnel executive Trey Brown, or any other member of the Bengals front office below Katie and Troy Blackburn and Tobin.
The safe answer is: we don't know. And that's by design! But when representation for high-caliber players like Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins receive direct and consistent communication with Blackburn and Tobin and an All-Pro like Hendrickson does not, it's fair for Hendrickson to see it as a problem.
It hasn't been complete radio silence. Hendrickson took it upon himself to request permission to seek a trade and had it granted last month, and Lewis did meet with ownership back in February. Clearly, this simply isn't enough.
As for why this is the case, there isn't a good answer here either. If the Bengals aren't really interested in moving off their offer to Hendrickson, then perhaps they don't see the purpose in having the highest powers of the front office handle negotiations. They have the definitive leverage advantage in this conflict. Waiting out Hendrickson appears to be their strategy as it worked last year when he requested a trade.
Hendrickson is frustrated, and he's taking it to the media as a result. That doesn't help the Bengals from a public relations standpoint, but that's always been an outcome they're willing to accept for the purpose of winning a negotiation.
If they want Hendrickson to show up for offseason workouts and then training camp, they may need to start communicating with him the way they did with Chase and Higgins.
Final four questions about the Cincinnati Bengals exiting free agency with the NFL Draft quickly approaching
The Bengals need answers before long.
