‘Blunt’ Joe Burrow Admits Bengals Not Paying Trey Hendrickson Is a ‘Distraction’

Joe Burrow is not happy with the Cincinnati Bengals for not yet resolving the Trey Hendrickson contract issue.

‘Blunt’ Joe Burrow Admits Bengals Not Paying Trey Hendrickson Is a ‘Distraction’

Trey Hendrickson and Joe Burrow (Image Credits: L-via Open Source, R-via IMAGO)

The Cincinnati Bengals had expected their woes would end after inking a deal with star wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but that has not been the case. With defensive end Trey Hendrickson‘s contract pending, he has actively begun to hold out from the team’s minicamp.

As he enters the final year of his two-year contract, Hendrickson hopes to join the likes of Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby in terms of pay scale. That would significantly boost his current earnings of $21 million per year. The situation has proven to be distracting for other players on the Bengals. Quarterback Joe Burrow admitted that the situation is a distraction for the team as they prepare to have a better season than last year.

Of course, of course, last year we had two, this year we have one so we do have less. We’d love to have none, but that’s life in the NFL. We’re all supporting Trey and would love for him to be back.

Joe Burrow told the media at the Cincinnati Bengals minicamp.

The quarterback is glad that this year, there is just one player who is sitting out of minicamp as opposed to the two last year. Both Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase were adamant that they would not show up to minicamp or OTAs until they received a worthy extension. Now, both of them are happy, but Trey Hendrickson’s fight continues.

Burrow is on Hendrickson’s side and is actively rooting for him to be back this season. However, it does not look like the Bengals and Hendrickson will be able to come to terms anytime soon. The reason is because of the discrepancy in the numbers. The defensive end is hoping for a $30+ million a year deal and intends to be in Cincinnati for at least four years. The Bengals feel comfortable paying him in the $21-25 million range.

Trey Hendrickson has been seeking a long-term deal for the past three years

The Bengals considered a trade for Trey Hendrickson as well, but that has not worked out since the team is yet to receive a satisfactory offer for him. This is not the first year that the defensive end has approached the front office demanding changes to his contract. In 2023, he signed a one-year deal including an $8 million bonus, and one year later, he wanted to sign a long-term deal, but the franchise was not willing to oblige.

The Bengals have reportedly created a blueprint to avoid trading DE Trey Hendrickson
Trey Hendrickson (Image via IMAGO)

As per ESPN, a total of seven teams expressed interest in signing Trey Hendrickson via trade. However, the issue remained that they were not giving enough in exchange to the Bengals. The hope now is that this will lead both sides to take it down a notch and come to terms after months of disagreement.

The Bengals would have had to pay Hendrickson less if they had not waited this long. In the past few months, the market for edge rushers has changed for the better. Myles Garrett and Danielle Hunter’s deals have set the standard high for all defensive ends, and Trey Hendrickson understands what he brings to the table. He was the only silver lining on the subpar Bengals defensive squad last season. He seldom causes trouble during games and is a model citizen at other times.

The Bengals can get around their cap space even if they were to sign Trey Hendrickson. He is expected to make $16 million this season, but if he opts to go the Haason Reddick way, then that is when things will get problematic for both him and the Bengals. Hendrickson’s extended holdout will begin to cost him serious money and prove to be a bigger distraction for the team than it already is.

Also Read: