What the Bengals do next with Trey Hendrickson should be extremely obvious and the rest of the NFL is proving that to be true
There's only one thing the Cincinnati Bengals should do with Trey Hendrickson. Offer him more money. Why? Other clubs would do the same thing.The Bengals allowed Hendrickson's camp to talk to other teams about a potential sign-and-trade last week. They granted permission after they were told by Hendrickson's side that they could get a first-round pick […]
There's only one thing the Cincinnati Bengals should do with Trey Hendrickson. Offer him more money.
Why? Other clubs would do the same thing.
The Bengals allowed Hendrickson's camp to talk to other teams about a potential sign-and-trade last week. They granted permission after they were told by Hendrickson's side that they could get a first-round pick in return.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that while teams interested in Hendrickson would be willing to offer Hendrickson the contract he wants, what Cincinnati wants in return is "ridiculous" according to one anonymous general manager.
What's unfolding between the Bengals, Hendrickson, and the NFL franchises who want him is nothing new. Cincinnati has historically overvalued its own players when it comes to trades despite its stinginess when offering those same players new contracts.
It doesn't sound like the front office is going to get that first-rounder for Hendrickson. If trading him is off the table, and his contractual value has become more and more clear, then the Bengals' next move is entirely obvious.
Bengals should now be willing to offer Hendrickson a larger raise
It's honestly so simple. If the Bengals were at price point A after both sides had exclusive talks, and he then found out his actual market is price point B, then the Bengals should at least get closer to price point B.
Finding a compromise, or simply matching what other clubs would be willing to offer, Is what they should do to reach an amicable conclusion. The Bengals allowed him to seek what he'd be worth to other teams. They've obtained new information to make a new decision.
And yet, the Bengals still hold all the cards as Hendrickson remains under contract for the 2025 season. This simple fact puts all the above logic into jeopardy.
Cincinnati has the power to force Hendrickson to play under the contract extension he signed back in 2023; before notching two more Pro Bowl honors and the first All-Pro honor a Bengals defensive player earned since Geno Atkins in 2015.
Hendrickson's camp doesn't have to try and convince the Bengals he's worth more than that now. The teams that are interested in him have done that work for them.
The Bengals opened the door to this. It came as a surprise they granted permission in the first place, but by doing so, Hendrickson's camp has done completely legitimate legwork towards getting the best possible deal.
A deal the Bengals should be willing to pay if they really value Hendrickson as much as their asking price indicates.
A lot of "should," and not enough "will" for the liking of Bengals fans, unfortunately. As it stands right now, Hendrickson is on track to staying in Cincinnati. There's a peaceful road to take there if the Bengals do right by him and respect his market, and there's a contentious road should they hold firm and force him to honor his current deal.
Cincinnati normally takes the contentious path and ends up with little to show for it. It's rather unwise to expect anything different at this juncture until further notice, despite the rest of the league making the correct choice as clear as day.
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