Bengals might have a unique layer of motivation to extend Trey Hendrickson's contract according to NFL insider's latest report
It's in the Cincinnati Bengals' best interest to give All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson the new contract he deserves.Hendrickson doesn't just make the Bengals a better team, there is no NFL Draft pick or player they could realistically receive in return that would make it worth trading him away.But beyond the on-field aspect, there's public […]
It's in the Cincinnati Bengals' best interest to give All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson the new contract he deserves.
Hendrickson doesn't just make the Bengals a better team, there is no NFL Draft pick or player they could realistically receive in return that would make it worth trading him away.
But beyond the on-field aspect, there's public perception the Bengals appear to be fighting, and it could push them to get this deal done.
NFL Media's Ian Rapoport spoke at length about where the Bengals stand with Hendrickson Monday afternoon on the Pat McAfee Show. He didn't just confirm the Bengals are still working on the deal, he brought up what he believes the Bengals are thinking about in terms of the larger picture. Rapoport believes the club hears external criticism regarding its tolerance for letting quality players leave the building.
"The Bengals do not like letting good players leave the building, even if it's for a huge draft pick," Rapoport said. "They don't like it. They like to draft, develop, sign their own guys, and I think they get annoyed that people think that they don't sign their guys. So Hendrickson is awesome. He deserves a lot of money. I think his next contract is going to be above 30 [million dollars per year]. Is it going to beat Maxx Crosby? I don't know, but it's going to be above 30."
Rapoport continued and said a Hendrickson extension would act as proof in the Bengals' minds that they do in fact reward their best players.
"And I think the Bengals are working—not I think—I know the Bengals are working on it," Rapoport continued. "And I know they would like to keep him in the building. They would like to pay him, and I think they would like people to stop saying, 'Why don't the Bengals pay their guys?' Because they do. And I think getting Hendrickson done at a value that makes sense for both sides will be a great way for the Bengals to be like, 'See!?'"
This is an interesting report because it's centered around the team instead of the player. Usually player’s agents will feed insiders like Rapoport what's going on in the negotiations from that side of the table, but Rapoport was clearly speaking from the Bengals' point of view.
Cincinnati turned heads by signing wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to lucrative contracts last week. Criticism for paying two receivers nearly $80 million in cash this year alone has outweighed the praise, but at the same time, there was great surprise that the front office was able to pull off two deals of that magnitude at the same time, let alone the same offseason. The team's social media department made sure to dunk on several NFL talking heads last week like Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio and even McAfee himself.
Paying Hendrickson in addition to them would indeed be impressive from the outside looking in. That shouldn't be the main reason why the Bengals are motivated to getting this done, but if it spurs them toward finalizing the deal on their end, Cincinnati fans won't be displeased with that.
The Bengals are clearly still trying to prove their doubters wrong, and if they succeed, they'll also ensure their team can be competitive this season.
So keep talking about what the Bengals should or shouldn't do. Maybe they'll listen.
Trey Hendrickson’s contract conclusion highlights the final steps the Bengals are looking to take in free agency
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