While the Cincinnati Bengals have paid two of their top players this offseason, inking wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to four-year deals worth $276 million combined, they still have business to take care of.
At the top of that list is defensive end Trey Hendrickson's contract.
The 30-year-old four-time Pro Bowler is set to enter the final year of his contract with a $15.8 million salary and $200,000 in per-game roster bonuses. He's made it clear that he wants a new deal or he wants to be traded to a team that's will give him the money and respect that he feels he deserves.
While Cincinnati has given Hendrickson permission to find a trade partner, the two sides still remain far apart and no deals have been discussed.
On Thursday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler shared an update on the situation that will likely disappoint Bengals fans.
"If no deal occurs, I've spoken to several people who believe Hendrickson very well might follow through on his promise to miss games or even the season," Fowler wrote. "'He's extremely dug in,' a source said."
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Since the start of the 2020 NFL season, only Cleveland's Myles Garrett (72) and Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt (73.5) have more sacks than Hendrickson (70.5).
Hendrickson also finished last year as the league leader in the statistic, recording 17.5 sacks, 46 tackles, 36 quarterback hits, six passes defensed and two forced fumbles in 17 games while on his way to making his first All-Pro team.
After unexpectedly losing Sam Hubbard to retirement earlier this offseason, Cincinnati can't make up for the production lost from another big departure. It would be in their best interest to keep him in black and orange for the foreseeable future, but they've cost themselves money already with Garrett and Maxx Crosby all signing deals this year that will pay them more than $35 million per year.
If the Bengals can't swing that for Hendrickson right now, they need to send him elsewhere and guarantee their return before he sits out at least part of the 2025 season.
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