The ongoing contract dispute between Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals took a dramatic turn this week, spilling into the public eye with frank comments from both sides.
Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn addressed the situation at league meetings, seemingly questioning Hendrickson’s stance on negotiations.
“I think he should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn’t think he’d be happy at,” Blackburn surprisingly said.
“I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point, and if he’s not, you know, that’s what holds it up sometimes. So, you know, it takes him to say yes to something, and also, we have all the respect in the world for him.”
Hendrickson wasted no time firing back, appearing on The Pat McAfee Show to express frustration with how the Bengals have handled the situation.
“Yesterday was April Fool’s,” Hendrickson began. “The one thing I was hoping that wasn’t an April Fool’s joke was that article. Called my agent, found out it was not. And that was a little disappointing, because communication has been poor over the last couple months.
“That’s something that I hold in high regard. They have not communicated with my agent directly. It’s been something that’s been a little bit frustrating. But again, it’s just the business of it… I’m excited to be a Bengal, right? To have a year, right, that I have remaining on my contract… Last year and the year before I’ve been talking about long-term contract, guaranteed money, things like that.
“It was discussed with me in a meeting, which I’m very fortunate to have had with my agent, that we would get something done this year. Last year, go out and play, play to the level you have, we’ll get it done. That was communicated with me. So that basically, this year, it’s gonna get worked on. They also reiterated that at the combine. So that just kind of cleared the air on that.
“Moving forward, the happiness of my camp. They are more than welcome to call me. I’ve had my same cell phone number since high school. Open line of communication is always open with me and my agents, so if they have anything they’d like to discuss, we’ve been nothing but willing to listen.”
“Whenever we have something to resolve in my family, my wife and I, we discuss it,” Hendrickson continued. “And we get to the point where we know we’re reaching a decision. And I’ve been open and transparent about however it looks for me in Cincinnati or not. I want the Bengals to benefit from that.
“Through this process, communication, when I say it’s been poor, it’s been like here and there. And respect to Ja’Marr and Tee. I don’t want to take anything away from all the great things they’ve accomplished in their careers. They deserve everything they’ve gotten. And no doubt in my mind they’re going to excel in the National Football League. I have tremendous respect for both of them. But when it comes to my situation, it would have been nice to know in some ways, like hey, we’re gonna put you in the queue. No problem with me.
“My wife and I try to be as humble as possible… We don’t have any desires of being highest-paid, or first in line. We try to be as patient as possible. But when you have things like OTAs coming. And guys like Sam Hubbard, who’s been a tremendous captain for our team last year. That leaves a vacancy for that. And I’m excited to fill that. But how do we reach that before we get there? Those are the things that matter when you’re talking about a Super Bowl. It’s in the little things, and the little details.”
When asked about whether he had a deadline for the Bengals to get a deal done, Hendrickson admitted the waiting game had become frustrating.
“That’s a great question,” Hendrickson said. “I think three years ago I began to ask for a long-term contract with guaranteed money. So those deadlines have kind of just all been a blur. I’ve just been hunting quarterbacks. So at this point, it is what it is. I don’t know if I can put a timestamp on it.
“To read what I read yesterday was confusing. Like it’s my decision. I would’ve been willing to sign three years ago, two years ago, and this year. It was communicated with me that we were gonna get something done this year… I kind of treat it like a house now.
“House values have gone up. It’s the cost of living. And some ways life continues to go forward. And I know I’m a football player. I’m training to be the best Trey Hendrickson I can be. And however that looks and whatever team, we can address that.”
Despite Hendrickson’s frustrations, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Bengals still want to keep him.
“The Bengals believe he deserves to be paid,” Rapoport said. “The Bengals don’t really want to trade him. They want to keep him. They want him to be happy. They want him to get a number he wants and they want him to play for them.”
For now, there is no hard deadline – though the draft could become a factor if Cincinnati were willing to entertain trade offers. Otherwise, the situation could drag deep into the summer.
The Bengals still hold most of the leverage, given Hendrickson’s age and the current market for his position. But with both sides now making their frustrations public, the standoff has taken a new and very messy turn.
Any Bengals (or Saints) fan will tell you, Trey Hendrickson is just about the classiest and most humble player in the entire league. In many ways, it’s sad to see how Cincinnati’s front office is treating him.
What are your thoughts on the ugly situation???
