Defensive finish Trey Hendrickson mentioned Wednesday that he is disillusioned and confused by Cincinnati Bengals govt Katie Blackburn’s latest feedback on his contract talks with the crew.
On Tuesday, on the NFL’s annual assembly, Blackburn, the Bengals’ govt vice chairman, mentioned of Hendrickson, “I believe he needs to be joyful at sure charges that perhaps he does not assume he’d be joyful at. I believe a few of it’s on him to be joyful in some unspecified time in the future, and if he isn’t, , that is what holds it up typically. So, , it takes him to say sure to one thing, and likewise, now we have all of the respect on this planet for him.”
Hendrickson, who’s in search of a brand new contract after posting 17.5 sacks every of the previous two seasons, expressed his displeasure with these feedback Wednesday in an look on “The Pat McAfee Present.”
“First off, yesterday was April Fools’ [Day] so I used to be traded to all 31 groups and had like 100 totally different contracts. The one factor I hoped was an April Fools’ joke [was those comments]. Referred to as my agent [Harold Lewis], came upon it was not, and that was a bit of disappointing as a result of the communication has been poor during the last couple of months,” he mentioned.
Hendrickson mentioned the Bengals haven’t communicated together with his agent instantly about his contract, saying that has “been one thing that is been a bit of bit irritating.”
“We’re on the D-end Nationwide Soccer League Road. The market worth for that’s going up prefer it did for large receivers final yr. The place I slot in that highway is all as much as discretion. We’re keen to speak about these issues. With the market persevering with to go up, I am not going to apologize for that, as a result of I have been mainly asking for a similar factor yearly, to be solidified as a Cincinnati Bengal for all times.”
Trey Hendrickson
Hendrickson, who is about to enter the ultimate yr of his contract, mentioned the crew instructed him in a gathering together with his agent final yr that one thing would get carried out together with his contract this yr, which he mentioned was reiterated on the scouting mix in February.
“Open line of communication is all the time open with me and my agent, so if they’ve something they’d like to debate, we have been nothing however keen to pay attention,” he mentioned.
Hendrickson, 31, is coming off his finest season within the league. He led the NFL in sacks and was named to the All-Professional crew for the primary time in his profession. Hendrickson additionally made the Professional Bowl for the fourth straight season. Nevertheless, at $21 million, he ranks tenth amongst edge rushers in common annual wage, based on OverTheCap.com.
Hendrickson’s contract is the ultimate hurdle remaining for the Bengals in an offseason when in addition they wanted to deal with offers for large receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The Bengals took care of each of their star large receivers final month, signing Chase to a four-year, $161 million extension and Higgins to a four-year, $115 million contract.
“By this course of, communication, once I say it has been poor, it has been, like, right here and there,” Hendrickson mentioned. “And respect to Ja’Marr and Tee. I do not need to take something from all the nice issues they’ve achieved of their careers. They deserve the whole lot that they’ve gotten, and little doubt in my thoughts they will excel within the Nationwide Soccer League. I’ve an incredible respect for each of them. However relating to my scenario, it might have been good to know in some methods, like, ‘Hey we’ll put you within the queue,’ no drawback with me.”
Editor’s Picks
2 Associated
He mentioned that he isn’t seeking to turn into the highest-paid defensive finish or “first in line” to get a deal carried out however that with organized crew actions set to start later this month, there’s an urgency to get one thing carried out.
“When you’ve got issues like OTAs coming and guys like Sam Hubbard, who’s been an incredible captain for our crew final yr, that leaves a emptiness for that and I am excited to fill that, however how will we attain that earlier than we get there. These are the issues that matter if you’re speaking a couple of Tremendous Bowl. It is within the little issues and the little particulars,” Hendrickson mentioned.
Hubbard, additionally a defensive finish, introduced his retirement from the NFL final month after seven seasons with the Bengals.
The Bengals had granted Hendrickson permission to hunt a commerce earlier this offseason, however up to now there have been no developments on that entrance. Requested Wednesday whether or not he has a deadline in thoughts on when he must get a deal or, if it involves it, power a commerce, Hendrickson mentioned he does not know whether or not he “can put a time stamp” on that.
“That is the place to learn what I learn yesterday was complicated, prefer it’s my determination. I’d have been keen to signal three years in the past, two years in the past and this yr. It was communicated to me we might get one thing carried out this yr and reiterated with [director of player personnel Duke Tobin’s] feedback on the mix. I deal with it like a home now; home worth has gone up, it is the price of dwelling. In some methods life continues to go ahead. I do know I am a soccer participant. I am coaching to be the perfect Trey Hendrickson I might be, and nonetheless that appears, no matter crew, we will tackle that,” he mentioned.
Relating to his contract, he mentioned, “There are issues I am keen to do and issues I am not keen to fudge on.”
“I do not assume I need to play for incentives that will probably be out of my management. I do not assume I need to play on a short-term contract and see the place it goes. I would really like to have the ability to inform my spouse, here is the place we’ll construct a household collectively,” he mentioned.
He famous that the worth retains going up annually primarily based on contracts signed by his friends the previous few years. Simply this yr, Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett have reset the sting rusher market with their offers.
“Three years in the past, it was the Rashan Garys, the Montez Sweats; these guys have been balling out. The following yr it was the Brian Burns, the Josh Allen offers; they have been balling,” he mentioned. “Now it is attending to the purpose the place guys with two years left on their offers, Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett; guys with one yr left on their offers, Danielle Hunter, myself, T.J. [Watt] and clearly Micah Parsons, he is an unimaginable athlete as effectively.
“I see that as that is the road. We’re on the D-end Nationwide Soccer League Road. The market worth for that’s going up prefer it did for large receivers final yr. The place I slot in that highway is all as much as discretion. We’re keen to speak about these issues. With the market persevering with to go up, I am not going to apologize for that, as a result of I have been mainly asking for a similar factor yearly, to be solidified as a Cincinnati Bengal for all times.”
ESPN’s Ben Child contributed to this report.
