It is here where we pause to soak in the absurdity and really underscore how disgruntled and detached the two-time NFL sack leader has become at this point. Unlike last year, this offseason, Trey Hendrickson had his foot in the door to pursue a trade. Nothing really materialized, but it became abundantly clear that market realities of contract values for edge rushers were going to influence his negotiations with the Bengals’ front office: “Having that conversation in July of 2024 does not forecast May of 2025,” Hendrickson said in May.

To put things into perspective, Trey’s base salary of $15.8 million for 2025 is roughly the same as the Chicago Bears’ Dayo Odeyingbo, who had three sacks in 2024 versus Trey’s back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons. What Trey wants is a deal that measures up to what he’s worth, as well as long-term security. The former would more or less group him in the same bracket as the only four other pass rushers in the league who earn more than $34 million per year. But it is the latter that is precisely why both sides are not seeing eye to eye. Essentially, a one or two-year deal wouldn’t cut it for Trey, and insiders believe being on the wrong side of 30 may have been a factor for the front office not to commit to a long-term deal.

Technically, it’s not as if Bengals don’t have the necessary space ($27.6 million for 2025) to account for both expenses during the season and a potential Hendrickson extension. And let’s face it: Bengals need him more than he needs them, accounting for 48% of the team’s sack total and virtually leading every major pass rush category. And considering they will be itching to snap out of a two-year playoff drought, new coordinator Al Golden could use all the help he can get. At such a time, Lawrence Guy, the 14-year defensive line veteran who briefly shared the locker room with Trey in 2024, makes a strong case to give him his deserved payday. Here’s what he said on Up & Adams:

“Pay the man what he’s due. We only get a short time in this game to get a certain amount of money. Yes, he is blessed to have what he has now, but give him what he’s earned.

“He has sweated out there. He has bled out there. He gave everything for the team. As you saw last year, you didn’t see him give up after everything he was going through, everything he was doing in personal life. He was out there every Sunday, every Thursday, or whatever… He is the person who can develop your young guys to continue to go. If he’s not in your future in three years, that’s fine. Give him the three-year deal. Let him raise his family there and have a state of mind and go. Sam [Hubbard]’s just retired, who was a big impact on the team as a veteran linebacker. This [Hendrickson] is your veteran linebacker. The end.”   

Forget cold business; Guy framed it as fundamental fairness for a man giving his all on and off the field, especially now as a new father. With all of these factors added, Adams asked the obvious question: “What’s the problem?” Guy’s voice took on a harder edge, shifting from admiration to advocacy when addressing the contract standoff.

“He used to tell me it’s the organization. As we all know, I’m pro player, so I’m gonna side with the player no matter what. I’m never going to side with the organization… If you’re straight up with a player, and you say, ‘This is what we’re able to do,’ from the get go, everybody’s mind is settled. If there’s ever any non-clarity in the communication with the team and the head coach, then that has to be addressed. Just make it plain and simple. ‘We’re not gonna do it. We’re gonna do it.’ That’s it.”     

There would be no shortage of suitors if Trey Hendrickson does indeed come up on the trade market. But what’s not really far-fetched to predict for now is that we can easily see this play out and drag well into the regular season. He’d already been informed that he would be fined if he missed the mandatory minicamp, which is slated to start on June 10. This is, of course, as long as the Bengals don’t want to get waded into a Carlos Dunlap-like situation from 2020, where they had no choice but to trade him in the middle of the season.

To see the Bengals, otherwise known for their orthodox cap approach, resolve two major contract situations (Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase) earlier in the offseason was a welcome change. But as a significant one lingers, the message to Cincy’s brass is quite clear: Secure the heartbeat of your defense before Joe Burrow trudges to become, dare I say, our generation’s Dan Marino.