Bill Barnwell of ESPN had some interesting points on Hendrickson's impact on games:

"He [Hendrickson] created an unprecedented 26 sacks for himself and his teammates a year ago, per ESPN's metrics, 11.5 more than any other player. The data for this metric dates to 2017, and no other player had topped 20 sacks created in a season."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45164455/2025-nfl-offseason-afc-teams-best-worst-deals-contracts-draft-picks-superlatives#CIN

Trey is the textbook case of disgruntled employee resulting from wishful misunderstanding.  Employers say a lot of vague shit to get employees to close their yaps and get back to work.  The family is careful with their words, but likely said something to him that made him think that continued outperformance of contract would be rewarded.  

Problem is, without something in writing, that means nothing.  The family is thinking of the team and their pocketbook.  Trey is thinking of himself and his family.  It was easy for him to be shoved aside for awhile with other issues at hand, but now he's THE issue.  For him this has always been the case, but this is what waiting and hoping a problem evaporates gets you.  

Thinking you are being under compensated is one level of dissatisfaction.  Believing you were doing what you had to to get the money you wanted and getting snubbed is another.  

I also think the late season shift from Tee being a no-doubt goner to a must-sign played a role here.  I think Burrow and Chase campaigning for him threw the team for a real loop.  I'm glad they will be Bengals for a long time, but I think it royally tanked this offseason.  Not blaming the players, but this front office just can't do two things at once.

(05-22-2025, 04:57 PM)Sled21 Wrote: And he's not helping his case by playing it out in the press. 

Exactly

Listened to State of the Jungle this evening and Malik Wright said that the Bengals offer to Trey Hendrickson was "23 million". If true that is a laughable offer!

(05-29-2025, 12:46 AM)J24 Wrote: Listened to State of the Jungle this evening and Malik Wright said that the Bengals offer to Trey Hendrickson was "23 million". If true that is a laughable offer!

If I was under contract for 16 million for one year with a contract in place that I had agreed to and signed that I was legally bound by. And my boss offered me a 43% raise and to tear up the old contract... I'd consider myself lucky.

(05-29-2025, 12:46 AM)J24 Wrote: Listened to State of the Jungle this evening and Malik Wright said that the Bengals offer to Trey Hendrickson was "23 million". If true that is a laughable offer!

Just about every other source or article I read says the new offer was 28 million 

(05-29-2025, 08:40 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Just about every other source or article I read says the new offer was 28 million 

Yeah, Malik doesnt know. 

(05-29-2025, 08:40 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Just about every other source or article I read says the new offer was 28 million 

Even if that's the case that's still way to low of a  offer for an elite edge player like Hendrickson!

(05-29-2025, 02:34 AM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: If I was under contract for 16 million for one year with a contract in place that I had agreed to and signed that I was legally bound by. And my boss offered me a 43% raise and to tear up the old contract... I'd consider myself lucky.

Well your not in Trey's position and do not have his leverage!

(05-29-2025, 02:34 AM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: If I was under contract for 16 million for one year with a contract in place that I had agreed to and signed that I was legally bound by. And my boss offered me a 43% raise and to tear up the old contract... I'd consider myself lucky.

 But you're not under contract.  Nor are you a professional athlete.  I'm not sure what you do for a living, but whatever it is, I'm sure you want to compensated similar to what your peers are making.  In this case, Trey is getting $16M this year.  Is that the going rate for defensive end's with 17 sacks a year?  No, the market rate is substantially higher.   

(05-22-2025, 05:24 PM)samhain Wrote: Trey is the textbook case of disgruntled employee resulting from wishful misunderstanding.  Employers say a lot of vague shit to get employees to close their yaps and get back to work.  The family is careful with their words, but likely said something to him that made him think that continued outperformance of contract would be rewarded.  

Problem is, without something in writing, that means nothing.  The family is thinking of the team and their pocketbook.  Trey is thinking of himself and his family.  It was easy for him to be shoved aside for awhile with other issues at hand, but now he's THE issue.  For him this has always been the case, but this is what waiting and hoping a problem evaporates gets you.  

Thinking you are being under compensated is one level of dissatisfaction.  Believing you were doing what you had to to get the money you wanted and getting snubbed is another.  

I also think the late season shift from Tee being a no-doubt goner to a must-sign played a role here.  I think Burrow and Chase campaigning for him threw the team for a real loop.  I'm glad they will be Bengals for a long time, but I think it royally tanked this offseason.  Not blaming the players, but this front office just can't do two things at once.

Or just a typical case of an employee feeling like they are outperforming their current title/paygrade and seeking a promotion/bump to compensate for the level of work they are actually doing, whether the company gave them a vague/wrong impression or not.

And in the case of Hendrickson, I would 100% agree.
He's being paid 13th-highest AAV, which is mid-tier when thinking top pass rusher on each team, but he's performing Top 3 for 2 years now in a row.


Rumor is Bengals have offered in the realm of $28 mill AAV for extension, which would put him among the likes of Josh Hines-Allen and Brian Burns.
JHA had 17.5 sacks in 2023 but otherwise has only cracked double-digit sacks his rookie year.
Burns only has one season with double-digit sacks, notching 12.5 in 2022.
Overall, these are guys who average ~9-10 sacks a season.

Hendrickson deserves to make $30+ mill AAV and put him among the likes of Garrett, Nick Bosa, Hunter, and Crosby.

(05-29-2025, 02:34 AM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: If I was under contract for 16 million for one year with a contract in place that I had agreed to and signed that I was legally bound by. And my boss offered me a 43% raise and to tear up the old contract... I'd consider myself lucky.

I would be willing to be the QB for the Bengals for league minimum. So tell Joe Burrow that he's a greedy PoS and should take less money than his peers, his ability, and his market dictates because I would consider myself lucky with less.

(05-29-2025, 10:43 AM)J24 Wrote: Well your not in Trey's position and do not have his leverage!

What's his leverage exactly? Sit out the year, lose 16 mm or even 28 mm if correct, be almost 32 years old when the next season begins and still be lousy against the run.That kind of leverage?

(05-29-2025, 01:40 PM)higgy100 Wrote: What's his leverage exactly? Sit out the year, lose 16 mm or even 28 mm if correct, be almost 32 years old when the next season begins and still be lousy against the run.That kind of leverage?

Yep, Trey doesn't have much leverage. Plus I heard 32 mil was the offer and he turned that down. That offer is probably not on the table 
any more so he screwed himself already. Take the 28 mil if that is what it is now. He isn't getting any younger, take the increase in pay and 
be happy about it would be my advice.

In the meantime, get Shemar's contract to where he is happy about it and then Trey would have even less leverage.

(05-29-2025, 01:40 PM)higgy100 Wrote: What's his leverage exactly? Sit out the year, lose 16 mm or even 28 mm if correct, be almost 32 years old when the next season begins and still be lousy against the run.That kind of leverage?

His leverage is "don't provide the Bengals with 17.5 sacks and instead make them roll with Myles Murphy and Joseph Ossai as their starting DEs".

The Bengals season would be over before it even began. Yes you are correct that he'd also suffer, but Mutually Assured Destruction is still leverage. It's a time-tested and proven leverage.

Katie and Troy need to quit d!cking this up and give the man a 3 year extension at 32 or so per year. Get this over with; the rest of the DE room is either unproven or underwhelming. This Front Office can’t help but screw things up; they’re the ultimate nepo babies.

(05-29-2025, 01:40 PM)higgy100 Wrote: What's his leverage exactly? Sit out the year, lose 16 mm or even 28 mm if correct, be almost 32 years old when the next season begins and still be lousy against the run.That kind of leverage?

(05-29-2025, 01:46 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Yep, Trey doesn't have much leverage. Plus I heard 32 mil was the offer and he turned that down. That offer is probably not on the table 
any more so he screwed himself already. Take the 28 mil if that is what it is now. He isn't getting any younger, take the increase in pay and 
be happy about it would be my advice.

In the meantime, get Shemar's contract to where he is happy about it and then Trey would have even less leverage.

He just needs to be on the roster for 6 games to accumulate a full season. If he does that than we are more than likely screwed.

(05-29-2025, 10:42 AM)J24 Wrote: Even if that's the case that's still way to low of a  offer for an elite edge player like Hendrickson!

Not sure about that. Trey is a lot like Mark Gastineau was back in the day. A prolific sack machine who did not care about anything but that stat. They were talking on NFL radio the day before yesterday, and someone called talking about how the Bengals should pay him Garrett money. They laid it right out, and said, "Would you take Hendrickson over Garrett? No. Would you take Hendrickson over Crosby? No. Would you take Hendrickson over Parsons? No. They laid out the top 5 Edge Defenders and Trey was not in the top 5, so why pay him like a top 5. A top 5 Edge gives you the sacks, but also is good against the run. Trey's more of a one trick pony. I'd give him the 28, or maybe even go to 30, but no more than that.

(05-29-2025, 02:39 PM)J24 Wrote: He just needs to be on the roster for 6 games to accumulate a full season. If he does that than we are more than likely screwed.

If he sits there is no chance he ever recovers that money. He doesn't have that long left in the league. Someone needs to give the man a calculator and LeVeon Bell's phone number.

(05-29-2025, 02:53 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Not sure about that. Trey is a lot like Mark Gastineau was back in the day. A prolific sack machine who did not care about anything but that stat. They were talking on NFL radio the day before yesterday, and someone called talking about how the Bengals should pay him Garrett money. They laid it right out, and said, "Would you take Hendrickson over Garrett? No. Would you take Hendrickson over Crosby? No. Would you take Hendrickson over Parsons? No. They laid out the top 5 Edge Defenders and Trey was not in the top 5, so why pay him like a top 5. A top 5 Edge gives you the sacks, but also is good against the run. Trey's more of a one trick pony. I'd give him the 28, or maybe even go to 30, but no more than that.

I would take him over Crosby and it's a push with him and Parsons. Also his one trick(creating pressure) is arguably the most important skill a defender can have.

(05-29-2025, 02:54 PM)Sled21 Wrote: If he sits there is no chance he ever recovers that money. He doesn't have that long left in the league. Someone needs to give the man a calculator and LeVeon Bell's phone number.

LeVeon Bell's eventually got paid.