The Cincinnati Bengals and star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson could put an end to speculation about their future together as soon as this week.
Hendrickson’s agent, after all, revealed that he will meet with the Bengals, likely this upcoming week, about the contract situation.
Until then, though, outsiders won’t stop speculating about whether Hendrickson’s time with the Bengals might be up.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN revealed on Saturday that some around the league think Hendrickson — alongside Cleveland Browns superstar Myles Garrett — will be one of the biggest names on the trade block this offseason:
As one league source predicts, “Maxx, Myles and Trey will all be tied up in [trade] talks.” The expectation is Crosby and Hendrickson will get strong trade interest if their respective teams decide to entertain calls. But teams must figure out this edge rush market, either by proactively signing their own players to high-end money or finding a way to get younger and cheaper at the position. And this is another challenge for the Bengals, in particular; they have not yet reached agreements with receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
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Unlikely as that seems, Hendrickson did throw out a slight extend-or-trade ultimatum to the Bengals this week during interviews around the Super Bowl.
Prior to that, the Bengals have acknowledged that Hendrickson has earned a pay raise — not that such an admission means the two parties can actually agree on the numbers.
The Bengals have many big items circled in red this offseason, with Hendrickson’s future right up there alongside Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. When it comes to Hendrickson, fans could see traction in one direction or the other in the coming days.
