Trey Hendrickson Update

[SunsetBengal]

(Yesterday, 08:12 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: The Bengals did get the contract done early two years ago when they added on the 2025 season that Hendrickson signed to play for including an 8 million dollar signing bonus.  He doesnt like this early deal he signed and he wants more money now.  He didnt like it last year and tried to negiotiate a deal last year too.  Even if the Bengals had signed Hendrickson early this year before these other contracts were done, what do you think the chances are Hendrickson would have been happy with his lower contract?  or that he wouldnt try to get a new contract next year?  The guy has asked for a new contract every single year but one since he has been here.  2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 have all seen Hendrickson's agent come to the Bengals for a contract that increased Hendrickson's pay.

Blah blah, blah blah, if the Bengals truly cared about star players the deal would have been done by now. 

[The Clapp]

(Yesterday, 08:26 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Blah blah, blah blah, if the Bengals truly cared about star players the deal would have been done by now. 

Im with you, but its hard to argue “ The guy has asked for a new contract every single year but one since he has been here. 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 have all seen Hendrickson's agent come to the Bengals for a contract that increased Hendrickson's pay.”

[QueenCity]

(Yesterday, 08:40 PM)The Clapp Wrote: Im with you, but its hard to argue “ The guy has asked for a new contract every single year but one since he has been here.  2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 have all seen Hendrickson's agent come to the Bengals for a contract that increased Hendrickson's pay.”

Yes I do think Trey and his agent are being a bit greedy all things considered. Bengals are offering another pay raise this year... it may not be the number he's searching for but who else is going to get it from?  In NFL terms he's coming to an expiration date and he's under contract. 

[SunsetBengal]

(Yesterday, 08:40 PM)The Clapp Wrote: Im with you, but its hard to argue “ The guy has asked for a new contract every single year but one since he has been here.  2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 have all seen Hendrickson's agent come to the Bengals for a contract that increased Hendrickson's pay.”

Again, if the Bengals wouldn't keep paying him the lowest end of what star players at his position make, then he would have already set the market and thus have no complaints.  Just give the man is $30M/per for an extra 2 years and let him retire as a happy Bengal. I mean does every Defensive player worth a damn's story have to end like Geno and Carlos' did?

[NUGDUKWE]

(Yesterday, 07:03 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I'd beg to differ on that statement. They may not want to pay top dollar like a lot of teams, but they have always treated their players well. Remember Devon Still? Heck, remember Tre Hendrickson when he didn't want to work out with the team and instead do his own thing so he could be home to help his wife finish pharmacy school. Not a lot of teams would do that.

Yes they have treated some players well and players in special circumstances well. But they have a track record in recent years of not communicating with players. They try and play hard ball with players and drag put contract negotiations and force them to play on the franchise tag. Now you can say these are all well within the rules. But no other team in the league does it the way the Bengals do.

[NUGDUKWE]

(Yesterday, 08:53 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Again, if the Bengals wouldn't keep paying him the lowest end of what star players at his position make, then he would have already set the market and thus have no complaints.  Just give the man is $30M/per for an extra 2 years and let him retire as a happy Bengal. I mean does every Defensive player worth a damn's story have to end like Geno and Carlos' did?

Yes he has done enough for the Bengals to take the risk. Give him the contract that's fair and for a few more years and let him retire like you said a Bengal (Hopefully hoisting the lombardi). He seems happy to be paid in the top 10. The Bengals just have unfortunately only ever barely got him to sneak in there at 9 or 10. So then in a couple years he falls to 20ish. Just make him top 5 and he'll be happy.

[007BengalsFan]

(Yesterday, 08:26 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Blah blah, blah blah, if the Bengals truly cared about star players the deal would have been done by now. 

You say Blah, blah , blah and the Bengals should sign their players early but that is exactly what they did with Hendrickson.  They signed him for the 2025 season before the contracts took a big jump.  The Bengals did exactly what you said they should do, sign guys early.  The problem is Hendrickson doesnt want to play for the early contract he agreed to.  What good does signing players early do if that player turns around and pouts about other guys that signed after him have bigger contracts?  

[Essex Johnson]

(Yesterday, 08:53 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Again, if the Bengals wouldn't keep paying him the lowest end of what star players at his position make, then he would have already set the market and thus have no complaints.  Just give the man is $30M/per for an extra 2 years and let him retire as a happy Bengal. I mean does every Defensive player worth a damn's story have to end like Geno and Carlos' did?

28 m sounds fair to me when you are already under contract and after the $$$ we dished out to Chase and Higgins

[Sled21]

(Yesterday, 08:53 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Again, if the Bengals wouldn't keep paying him the lowest end of what star players at his position make, then he would have already set the market and thus have no complaints.  Just give the man is $30M/per for an extra 2 years and let him retire as a happy Bengal. I mean does every Defensive player worth a damn's story have to end like Geno and Carlos' did?

His original contract at 60 mil made him one of the top paid DE's at the time.

[Sled21]

(Yesterday, 10:50 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: You say Blah, blah , blah and the Bengals should sign their players early but that is exactly what they did with Hendrickson.  They signed him for the 2025 season before the contracts took a big jump.  The Bengals did exactly what you said they should do, sign guys early.  The problem is Hendrickson doesnt want to play for the early contract he agreed to.  What good does signing players early do if that player turns around and pouts about other guys that signed after him have bigger contracts?  

Exactly! That's what I've been saying for weeks, you don't save money signing someone early if you redo their contract every time the market changes.

[THE PISTONS]

(Yesterday, 08:53 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Again, if the Bengals wouldn't keep paying him the lowest end of what star players at his position make, then he would have already set the market and thus have no complaints.  Just give the man is $30M/per for an extra 2 years and let him retire as a happy Bengal. I mean does every Defensive player worth a damn's story have to end like Geno and Carlos' did?

So that's what I come up with too. But, I don't think that's enough to make him happy.

[*bengalfan74*]

(Yesterday, 08:53 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Again, if the Bengals wouldn't keep paying him the lowest end of what star players at his position make, then he would have already set the market and thus have no complaints.  Just give the man is $30M/per for an extra 2 years and let him retire as a happy Bengal. I mean does every Defensive player worth a damn's story have to end like Geno and Carlos' did?

Right, if they would have just paid him upper tier money after his first 17 sack season and gotten it over with.

[SunsetBengal]

(7 hours ago)bengalfan74 Wrote: Right, if they would have just paid him upper tier money after his first 17 sack season and gotten it over with.

That's part of the conundrum, last year at this time he was only one year into his restructure and thus ineligible for another at that time. That is when the alleged promises were made to him about redoing the deal this season.

[Luvnit2]

(Yesterday, 08:53 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Again, if the Bengals wouldn't keep paying him the lowest end of what star players at his position make, then he would have already set the market and thus have no complaints.  Just give the man is $30M/per for an extra 2 years and let him retire as a happy Bengal. I mean does every Defensive player worth a damn's story have to end like Geno and Carlos' did?

Two very bad examples. If they paid Geno, they would have been burnt as he suffered career ending injury.

I want Trey paid fairly. My definition of fair is based off his existing contract, the one he signed to get a 10 million dollar bonus.

It is easy to attck the FO about money when you have no skin in the game. The team has to roster 90 players, then 53 + 16 practice squad players. He is one of those players, albeit a great DE.

I hope the 2 sides figure it out.

[Luvnit2]

(7 hours ago)SunsetBengal Wrote: That's part of the conundrum, last year at this time he was only one year into his restructure and thus ineligible for another at that time. That is when the alleged promises were made to him about redoing the deal this season.

I think you are ignoring the Bengals offered him a new deal. My guess is that was the promise, not any money specifics. 

Trey turned down the offer.

[SunsetBengal]

(7 hours ago)Luvnit2 Wrote: I think you are ignoring the Bengals offered him a new deal. My guess is that was the promise, not any money specifics. 

Trey turned down the offer.

He's currently the 27th highest paid DE in the league. In order to be reflective of his achievements along with the effort and talent that he continues to display, would you say putting him in the top 5 DE salaries is a fair spot for him?  If so, what value should that contract be?

[*rfaulk34*]

(8 hours ago)Sled21 Wrote: His original contract at 60 mil made him one of the top paid DE's at the time.

You don't say?

Top 3 ED salaries by year:
'21- Frank Clark $25.8M, D. Lawrence $25M, Joey Bosa $20.7M
Trey - $12.4M (11th)

'22 - Joey Bosa $28.2M, TJ Watt $24.3M, Bud Dupree $19.2M
Trey - $14.4M (6th)

'23 - TJ Watt $29.3M, D. Hunter $20.9M, D. Lawrence $17.1M
Trey - $15.1M (10th)

'24 - Maxx Crosby $30.4M, TJ Watt $30.4M, Joey Bosa $26.1M
Trey - $20.1M (9th)

And here's a little something i posted about his stats since signing with the Bengals. 
Sacks since 2020 (and last 2 years)

TJ Watt - 54.5 (30.5 last 2 years)
M Garrett - 72.0 (28.0 last 2 years)
D Hunter - 45.0 (28.5 last 2 years)
M Crosby - 49.5 (22.0 last 2 years)
T Hendrickson - 70.5 (35.0 last 2 years)

[Whatever]

(Yesterday, 08:53 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Again, if the Bengals wouldn't keep paying him the lowest end of what star players at his position make, then he would have already set the market and thus have no complaints.  Just give the man is $30M/per for an extra 2 years and let him retire as a happy Bengal. I mean does every Defensive player worth a damn's story have to end like Geno and Carlos' did?

I don't get the Geno example at all 

In 2018, Geno signed a 4 year, $65 mil extension while in the final year of a 5 year, $53 mil deal.  He was 30 at the time, coming off a 9 sack campaign in '17, and followed it up with 10 sacks in '18.

But then he hit the wall in '19, recording only 4.5 sacks in 16 games, then was injured in '20 after recording 0 sacks in 8 games.  

Geno is actually proof positive why you don't sign aging stars to big money extensions.  The last year of his previous contract was the last good year he had left.  The extension was a complete waste.

[SunsetBengal]

(6 hours ago)Whatever Wrote: I don't get the Geno example at all 

In 2018, Geno signed a 4 year, $65 mil extension while in the final year of a 5 year, $53 mil deal.  He was 30 at the time, coming off a 9 sack campaign in '17, and followed it up with 10 sacks in '18.

But then he hit the wall in '19, recording only 4.5 sacks in 16 games, then was injured in '20 after recording 0 sacks in 8 games.  

Geno is actually proof positive why you don't sign aging stars to big money extensions.  The last year of his previous contract was the last good year he had left.  The extension was a complete waste.

No, it wasn't. At that time neither Geno, nor the team knew that he was going do develop a physical issue that would lead to him retiring from the game. Don't forget, those contracts didn't include the massive amount of percentage guaranteed like they do now, so most of that money was left on the table when he retired. If anything that deal was a gesture of respect for a player who had given his all to the team for his entire career. Geno was able to retire with dignity and financial security. 

[Nepa]

(8 hours ago)Sled21 Wrote: Exactly! That's what I've been saying for weeks, you don't save money signing someone early if you redo their contract every time the market changes.

The whole discussion is kind of weird. There is a general blame toward the Bengals FO for not signing Chase last year before the cap rose and the WR market went up, yet some now are saying the Bengals should renegotiate with a top player if the market changes and the player is no longer being paid as if elite. This is being applied to Trey, but if the Bengals FO had signed Chase to an extension a year ago, would he be in his right to hold out this year for yet another contract because he won the WR triple crown and was no longer being paid accordingly?

I think it would be wonderful if the Bengals want to sign Trey to an extension and add years and bump up his salary. He deserves it. But I don't like that he signed a contract he was happy with and now says he will not honor that contract but will hold out until they pay him what he is worth. Many of us have signed contracts we later regretted and we have to live with our mistakes because, well, we knowingly and in good faith signed the contract.