Trey Hendrickson seems open to the idea of remaining with the Bengals, yet it appears the team might be nudging him towards the exit. The talented edge rusher, who had an impressive season last year, has voiced his frustrations with the organization. His critical comments on Monday offered a glimpse into the situation.
In March, the Bengals allowed Hendrickson to explore potential trades. Recently, he mentioned that communication from the team had been “poor.”
According to Hendrickson, there’s a noticeable lack of dialogue now. He expressed, “There’s no communication happening between my camp and the post-draft organization.”
“The pre-draft offers didn’t align with the vision we previously discussed. If I continued performing at a high level, there was an understanding about the offseason. The coaches are aware of these past conversations, but now it seems there’s no collaborative effort to bring things back on track,” he continued.
Hendrickson has racked up 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons and is in the final year of his contract. He commented on contract negotiations, stating, “We’re not aiming to be the highest-paid team—at least not from my side. I tend to not delve into every small detail, but I’ve reached a point where I don’t want to play for incentives that may lead me astray. I’m not looking for something short-term.”
Having turned 30 in December and joining the Bengals in 2021, Hendrickson has proven to be a significant asset for the team. Before that, he spent four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, where his performance was modest up until his final year, when he achieved a career-high of 13.5 sacks after only managing 6.5 during his first three seasons in the NFL.
Since his arrival in Cincinnati, Hendrickson has consistently posted at least 14 sacks in three of his four seasons and has earned Pro Bowl selections each year with the Bengals.
