The Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson are running out of time, at least if he wants to play in Week 1.
The Bengals open their season on Sunday, Sept. 7 against the Cleveland Browns. That's less than two weeks away, and Hendrickson still doesn't have a contract extension (or a trade).
Hendrickson has made it clear he doesn't want to play this season for the $16 million he's owed in the last year of his current deal.
It's a fair feeling, as Hendrickson is coming off back-to-back seasons with 17.5 sacks. Given that Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt have both hit the $40 million per year threshold this offseason, Hendrickson appears vastly underpaid.
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ESPN's Ben Solak broke it all down in a lengthy article Monday morning. He explains how it got here and where it might be going.
In the end, Solak has a prediction:
"The Bengals will announce a three-year extension with Hendrickson worth $38 million per year with over $60 million in new guarantees on Sept. 3."
That works out to a total potential value of $114 million.
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Solak's date is the Wednesday leading into Week 1. If the Bengals and Hendrickson got a contract signed by then, he could likely play at least some snaps in the opener against Cleveland.
The Bengals' defense was its weak point last season, and losing Hendrickson is likely something they can't afford if they really want to win a Super Bowl.
This outcome would likely be positive for everyone involved. Will the Bengals and Hendrickson actually reach this compromise, though? Stay tuned.
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