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Lions Unlikely To Pursue Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson

May 25th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Rory Parks

As the Bengals-Trey Hendrickson contract impasse drags on, the possibility of a trade looms over the situation. The Lions, despite recent interest in elite EDGE players like Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby, do not appear to be a Hendrickson suitor.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says a pursuit of the 2024 sack leader would run counter to the Lions’ current operation. After all, Detroit is in the midst of negotiations with its own standout pass rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, and those discussions may well culminate in an extension that catapults Hutchinson to the top of the EDGE market (currently paced by Garrett’s $40MM average annual value). 

It would therefore be quite difficult for the Lions to surrender notable draft capital to complete a Hendrickson trade – even if Cincinnati relaxes its demand of a first-round pick plus more – and then authorize a contract near the top of the market for a second defensive end. Hendrickson’s age (30) will likely prevent him from reaching the $40MM/year club, but as Birkett suggests, a $35MM AAV is not out of the question.

Plus, the Lions have other contractual matters to resolve. While Hutchinson is presumably at the top of GM Brad Holmes’ agenda at the moment, Birkett says the club is looking ahead to a second deal for running back Jahmyr Gibbs – who will be eligible for a new contract at the end of the 2025 season – and other internal cornerstones. While Birkett does not expressly say so, it could be that Gibbs’ 2023 draftmates like Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch are already on Holmes’ extension radar (Holmes finalized a record-setting extension for safety Kerby Joseph just a few weeks ago).

Of course, the prospect of pairing Hutchinson with Hendrickson is a tempting one. Hendrickson has earned Pro Bowl acclaim in each of his four seasons with the Bengals, and he has recorded 17.5 sacks in both of the past two seasons (his 2024 showing led to his first First Team All-Pro bid and placed him second in Defensive Player of the Year balloting). Hutchinson, who will turn 25 in August, averaged 10 sacks per season over his first two NFL campaigns and hit 7.5 sacks in just five contests in 2024 before suffering a season-ending leg injury.

It was that injury that led to Detroit’s in-season trade interest in Garrett and Crosby. After the team was rebuffed in those pursuits, it pivoted to Za’Darius Smith, and with Hutchinson ready to go for 2025, Birkett says the team will seek a complementary piece rather than a marquee addition.

Smith, who was released in a cost-cutting move in March, still profiles as a logical candidate to return. Holmes said last month he had not spoken with Smith’s camp since the release, but those comments were made before the 2025 draft. Now that the draft is in the books and clubs have a better idea of their roster needs, the two sides could circle back to each other. DeMarcus Walker, who visited Detroit in April, also remains unsigned, as does Von Miller.

The Lions re-signed DE Marcus Davenport this offseason after his first year in the Motor City was cut short by an elbow injury. As of the time of this writing, Davenport is penciled in as Hutchinson’s bookend on Detroit’s defensive front.

AFC Front Office Updates: Bengals, Bills, Jets, Dolphins

May 23rd, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Last week, we noted that former Patriots southeast area scout Josh Hinch would not be returning to New England in 2025. Now we know why as Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com reports that Hinch will be joining the Bengals in 2025.

It’s assumed that Hinch will be stepping into the role vacated when Christian Sarkisian departed to serve as the general manager at Northwestern University. Hinch spent some time with the XFL and AAF alternative football leagues before working with the Buccaneers in the NFL. He’s spent the last four years in New England’s scouting department.

Cincinnati will also add Tyler Ramsey as a scout, per Stratton. A Seattle native, Ramsey spent 12 seasons in the Seahawks’ scouting department, starting as a personnel intern and working his way through promotions to scouting assistant and area scout. He spent three years after with the Panthers, starting as a national scout before getting promoted to assistant director of pro personnel. Ramsey was let go by Carolina a little over a year ago.

Here are a few other front office updates, all coming out of the AFC East:

  • Stratton also noted that the Bills have hired Mk Collins as their new player personnel coordinator, citing the updated position on her LinkedIn page. After completing a training camp internship with the Rams in 2023, Collins served four months as the assistant director of recruiting and personnel at Cornell before joining North Carolina as a player personnel analyst and, eventually, a scouting assistant. Stratton tells us that the position was open because former player personnel coordinator Andrea Gosper has been promoted.
  • The Jets are bringing Bird Sherrill back to the NFL for a front office role, according to Graham Hall of 247Sports. Sherrill had previously spent six years with the Lions, starting as a scouting assistant before being promoted to a scout. Sherrill arrived in Gainesville alongside Billy Napier in 2022 and served as the Gators director of college personnel.
  • Lastly, the Dolphins have hired Rachael Kaplan as the team’s new football analytics staff assistant, per ESPN’s Seth Walder. Kaplan previously worked an internship with the Buccaneers. She entered a submission into this year’s NFL Big Data Bowl and earned an honorable mention in the competition.

The Most Lucrative ILB Contract In Each Franchise’s History

May 21st, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers have again made Fred Warner the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker. The franchise did this in 2021 as well. A team that has employed All-Pro NaVorro Bowman and Hall of Famer Patrick Willis over the past 15 years, the 49ers have spent on the high end to fortify this position. Other clubs, however, have been far more hesitant to unload significant cash to staff this job.

The $20MM-per-year linebacker club consists of only two players (Warner, Roquan Smith), but only four surpass $15MM per year presently. Last year saw the Jaguars and Jets (Foye Oluokun, C.J. Mosley) trim their priciest ILBs’ salaries in exchange for guarantees, and the Colts did not make it too far with Shaquille Leonard‘s big-ticket extension. Although some contracts handed out this offseason created optimism about this stubborn market, franchises’ pasts here do not depict a trend of paying second-level defenders.

Excluding rookie contracts and arranged by guaranteed money, here is (via OvertheCap) the richest contract each franchise has given to an off-ball ‘backer:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Milano’s first extension (in 2021) brought more in overall value and fully guaranteed money, but the 2023 pact provided more in total guarantees

Carolina Panthers

Shaq Thompson‘s 2019 extension brought a higher AAV ($13.54MM), but Kuechly’s included more in guarantees

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw‘s 2025 contract (three years, $31.5MM) brought a higher AAV but a lower guarantee

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Azeez Al-Shaair checks in atop franchise history in AAV ($11.33MM) but fell short of McKinney’s in guarantees

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Rolando McClain‘s 2010 rookie contract, agreed to in the final year before the rookie-scale system debuted, checked in higher in terms of guarantees ($22.83MM)

Los Angeles Chargers

Kenneth Murray‘s rookie contract (a fully guaranteed $12.97MM) narrowly eclipses this deal

Los Angeles Rams

Mark Barron‘s 2016 contract brought a higher AAV ($9MM) but a lower guarantee

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Jerod Mayo; December 17, 2011: Five years, $48.5MM ($27MM guaranteed)

Robert Spillane‘s $11MM AAV leads the way at this position in New England, but the recently dismissed HC’s contract brought more guaranteed money

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Blake Martinez‘s free agency deal included a higher AAV ($10.25MM) but a lower guaranteee

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Warner secured more guaranteed money on this extension than he did on his five-year 2021 deal ($40.5MM guaranteed)

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Jamin Davis‘ fully guaranteed rookie contract brought a higher guarantee ($13.79MM)

Joe Burrow Endorses Potential Trey Hendrickson Extension

May 20th, 2025 at 10:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Joe Burrow‘s influence on the Bengals organization was clearly highlighted this offseason, as the QB got his wish when Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were both signed to long-term extensions. Burrow also made it clear that he wanted star defender Trey Hendrickson to receive a new deal, although a lack of progress on that front has already led to public frustration and a potential holdout.

[RELATED: Bengals In Contract Squabble With DE Shemar Stewart]

While speaking with reporters today, Burrow once again stated that he wanted the Bengals defensive leader to stick in Cincy for the long haul. The QB also said he supports Hendrickson’s decision to not participate in team activities while extension talks are ongoing.

“Yeah, we’ll see what happens with that,” Burrow said (via Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com). “You guys all know how I feel about Trey. He’s a great player. I love Trey as a guy. He goes out and plays well every single Sunday. He’s very productive. He’s a guy that deserves to get paid and get paid what he wants and what the market is. So, like I said, we’ll see what happens with that. But, I love Trey and hope he’s with us.

“I think he’s doing what he thinks is best for his career and I support him in that,” Burrow added. “Trey’s a smart guy. Just like anybody, I’m sure there’s things that he’d like to have back. But he’s very well thought out in his process and what he’s trying to do. And so, if he thinks that’s the way to go, then that’s the way to go.”

As part of a one-year, $21MM extension he signed in 2023, Hendrickson is due a $15.8MM base salary this season. After finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024, the pass rusher is naturally seeking more long-term security and a top-of-position average annual value. While the Bengals were willing to break from tradition with Burrow, Chase, and Higgins, the organization isn’t willing to commit significant guarantees beyond the 2025 season to Hendrickson.

The 30-year-old showed up for the second phase of offseason workouts last week in street clothes, and he reiterated his stance that negotiations have gotten “personal” and he won’t be playing for the Bengals under his current pact. Hendrickson noted to reporters that Zac Taylor threatened fines for eventually missing mandatory practices, and the coach did acknowledge today that he’s since spoken with his defensive star.

“I put a lot of time into thinking — those situations, there’s real money at stake,” Taylor said (via Simmons). “So I put a lot of time and energy into thinking about how to communicate, when to communicate. And so, that’s just how I handled that one. And, yeah, Trey and I have spoken.

“I think every situation is unique,” Taylor added. “Every personality is different, every player is different. The timing of everything is different. So, you just adapt as you go with that stuff.”

Contract Dispute Ongoing Between Bengals, Shemar Stewart

May 20th, 2025 at 10:55am CST by Adam La Rose

Shemar Stewart sat out the Bengals’ rookie minicamp as a result of the fact he has yet to sign his initial NFL contract. The structure of the pact was at the heart of the issue, and that is still the case.

Stewart has attended meetings during voluntary offseason work, but Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports he has yet to participate in any on-field practices. Stewart’s aim is for his pact to match the language of the Bengals’ two most recent Day 1 selections. That affects matters like the timing of bonus payments, whereas the value of his base salary and signing bonus are determined by draft slot.

The Bengals selected Stewart 17th overall, adding an option to complement Trey Hendrickson in 2025 and potentially replace him as the team’s top edge rusher after that point. The Texas A&M product’s rookie deal will match that of right tackle Amarius Mims (the No. 18 pick in 2024) and fellow defensive end Myles Murphy (No. 28 in 2023) if his request is granted. Disputes similar to this one have not been entirely eliminated in the rookie wage scale era, but it is still notable this situation has resulted in an ongoing holdout.

Hendrickson, of course, is seeking a new arrangement of his own with one year remaining on his pact. The reigning NFL sack leader is angling for guarantees beyond 2025, a bridge the Bengals have not historically been willing to cross (with a small number of recent exceptions). Even if Hendrickson remains in the fold for the coming year and beyond, increased production in the pass rush department will be required on a defense needing to improve in several areas moving forward.

Stewart may not be in position to help in that regard right away after he totaled just 4.5 sacks in college. Still, the 6-5, 267-pounder’s draft stock was helped by his Combine performance and athletic profile, and over the long term he could grow into a key figure on defense for years to come. Stewart’s (on-field) development will not begin until his contract situation sees a resolution, however.

Bengals Hosting DT Montravius Adams

May 19th, 2025 at 11:14am CST by Adam La Rose

Montravius Adams saw his tenure with the Steelers come to an end last month. The veteran defensive tackle may be able to remain in the AFC North for 2025, however.

Adams is visiting the Bengals today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The 29-year-old joined the Steelers midway through the 2021 campaign and remained in place for three full seasons after that. Over that span, Adams made a total of 46 appearances including 21 starts.

In 2023, the former third-rounder logged a snap share of 48%; his playing time notably dropped last season, though. Adding along the defensive line was seen as a priority for Pittsburgh leading up to the draft, so it came as no surprise when the team selected Derrick Harmon 21st overall. The Steelers then added Yahya Black during the fifth round, something which pointed further to Adams’ roster spot being in jeopardy. He was released shortly after the draft with one year left on his pact.

The Bengals invested along the defensive front during the draft in the form of first-rounder Shemar Stewart, but he will aim to provide the team with needed help along the edge. In terms of interior linemen, Cincinnati has the likes of veteran B.J. Hill and 2024 selections Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson in the fold. Hill will be expected to remain a full-time starter next season, while each of the latter two could see an uptick in usage. As a veteran of 101 combined regular and postseason games, Adams could offer depth to a Bengals team which ranked 19th against the run last year.

Adams has recorded only 2.5 sacks during his career, but he has operated as a consistent run-stopping presence along the way. The Auburn product has not been connected to any suitors prior to today, and at this point in the offseason he should not command a notable free agent pact. With over $26MM in cap space, the Bengals could certainly afford a one-year flier on Adams.

Trey Hendrickson Prepared To Hold Out Into Regular Season

May 15th, 2025 at 3:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 15: It is indeed safe to assume guarantees beyond the 2025 season are a key issue in this situation, ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes. The Bengals were willing to break with organizational tradition with Burrow, Chase and Higgins when they were 26 at signing, but whether or not that will be the case for Hendrickson at his age will be worth watching when (or if) talks resume.

MAY 14: The Bengals have developed an earned reputation as slow starters during Zac Taylor‘s time at the helm. This pattern has been a significant impediment to the team, one that began 0-3 last year and stood 0-2 to start the 2022 and ’23 seasons. With the team now having paid both its wide receiver standouts, more pressure will be on Taylor to have his crew ready to go when the season starts.

Trey Hendrickson‘s status suddenly factors into this equation. The Bengals’ top defensive player has gone public with his frustrations, with a Monday text from Taylor prompting a Tuesday grievance rundown. Hendrickson has officially threatened a holdout. Training camp holdouts have become more difficult to wage under the current CBA, leading to the hold-in tactic, but some players have bucked that trend and stayed away anyway.

[RELATED: How Will Hendrickson’s Situation Play Out?]

CeeDee Lamb held out well into Cowboys camp last year, with Zack Martin doing the same in 2023. Trent Williams did the same, and teammate Nick Bosa held out in 2023 as well. All four of these Dallas- and San Francisco-based absences led to new contracts. Haason Reddick staged an unsuccessful holdout last year, eventually reporting to the Jets in late October and playing out the string.

The Chiefs went into the 2023 season with Chris Jones engaged in a holdout. After a Week 1 loss to the Lions, the Chiefs agreed to a temporary solution that brought the future Hall of Famer back into the fold. Kansas City then caved on a player-friendly deal for Jones two days before the 2024 free agency period began. Jones was 29 when he signed that monster Chiefs extension. By the time Hendrickson would be free agency-eligible, he will be 31. The All-Pro defensive end’s age represents a key component in his Bengals stalemate.

Few players have proven willing to pass on game checks to extend holdouts into the regular season. Le’Veon Bell famously did on the franchise tag in 2018, while Duane Brown (2017) and Vincent Jackson (2010) sat out lengthy stretches as well. It is still too early to predict Hendrickson will follow suit, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes some close to the disgruntled pass rusher believe his contract stance would lead to him skipping regular-season games — should Cincinnati not reward its ace sack artist before Week 1.

As part of a one-year, $21MM extension he signed in 2023, Hendrickson is due a $15.8MM base salary this season. This works out to just more than $920K in game checks. Teams regularly win bets on players being unwilling to pass on game checks, but Hendrickson’s only play against the Bengals would be to withhold services. He managed Defensive Player of the Year runner-up status on one of the league’s worst defenses last season. Removing Hendrickson from the mix would certainly threaten a Bengals team committed to complementing Joe Burrow better than it did in 2024. That will be an interesting storyline to follow.

Although the Bengals let Hendrickson seek a trade just before free agency, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway notes the team wants its All-Pro sack artist back in 2025. What is unclear is how much Cincy wants Hendrickson beyond this season. Contract structure represents the central hang-up here, Hendrickson said, as negotiations have paused. A structural issue would seemingly point to guarantees. The Bengals almost never authorize post-Year 1 salary guarantees, though they made exceptions for Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

While the franchise has a history extending D-lineman in Hendrickson’s age range (via the 2018 Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins paydays), a March report pointed to hesitancy regarding the new edge rusher going rate. Hendrickson is not a candidate to eclipse Myles Garrett‘s $40MM-per-year number, but Maxx Crosby‘s $35.5MM-AAV accord — which settled in north of Bosa’s ($34MM per) — represents a lofty number as well.

As the Hendrickson saga keeps producing notable plotlines, the Bengals also saw first-round pick Shemar Stewart — their potential long-term Hendrickson replacement — sit out rookie minicamp due to his contract. Bonus structure kept Stewart off the field last weekend, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Players regularly participate in offseason work unsigned, as many first-rounders have yet to put pen to paper. Waivers protecting them are commonplace, but while the Bengals attempted to complete a Stewart deal early, nothing transpired.

First-round contracts (and now at least two second-round draft slots) bring fully guaranteed deals, but the percentage of Stewart’s money to be paid as a training camp roster bonus, per Florio, became an issue. That percentage checked in lower than last year’s No. 17 overall pick received, leading to the absence. First-round contract drama does not rival what took place before the rookie-scale system debuted in 2011, but the Bengals have brought at least a hiccup during Stewart’s first weeks in town. And it has come amid the higher-stakes Hendrickson dispute.

NFL Contract Details: Stafford, White, Moss

May 14th, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are recently released details on deals from around the NFL:

  • Matthew Stafford, QB (Rams): Two years, $84MM. This restructured deal was announced two weeks ago, but the details were just recently announced, including $40MM of guaranteed money. $4MM of the $84MM comes in the form of a roster bonus paid out in March, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. The remaining $80MM is split evenly over the next two seasons with $16MM base salaries and four $6MM bonuses ($24MM total) in each year. The bonus structure gives Los Angeles a bit of flexibility with the salary cap. The $40MM from 2025 is what makes up the guaranteed amount, and the 2026 $40MM fully guarantees on the fifth day of the new league year. On The Breer Report, Breer also mentioned that the new deal pays out $26MM more than Stafford was set to earn through 2026 and that Stafford essentially turned down what could’ve been deals from the Raiders and Giants for over $50MM per year in order to remain with the Rams in 2025.
  • Tre’Davious White, CB (Bills): One year, $3MM. The new deal for the veteran defender was reportedly worth up to $6.8MM. Now that we know the base value of the contract is only $3MM, we can see how much the incentives of the deal are worth, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire. White’s deal contains $2.2MM of guaranteed money, composed of his $1MM signing bonus and $1.2MM of his 2025 base salary (worth $1.56MM in total). White will have non-cumulative playing time-based incentives — $500K for 45% of defensive snaps, $750K for 55%, $1MM for 65%, $1.5MM for 75%, and $2.25MM for 90% — and non-cumulative interception-based incentives — $250K for two interceptions, $500K for three, $750K for four, and $1MM for five. Lastly, he’ll earn a per game active roster bonus of $20K for a potential season total of $340K.
  • Zack Moss, RB (Bengals): One year, $1.7MM. Like Stafford, Moss is another restructured deal. Previously set to earn $3.47MM for the 2025 season, Moss took a pay cut to hopefully avoid being a cap casualty and increase his guaranteed money for the year. The guaranteed money Moss added on the deal was a $375K signing bonus. He’ll also earn a $9K per game active roster bonus for a potential season total of $155K.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Bengals, Smith

May 14th, 2025 at 6:07pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Browns‘ quarterback room has been under a microscope for years, but this offseason drew added scrutiny with the pure volume of Cleveland’s transactions at the position.

The Browns first traded for Kenny Pickett before reuniting with Joe Flacco in free agency. They then double-dipped on quarterbacks in the draft, taking Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth.

Gabriel was expected to be a Day 3 pick, making his selection in the third round a “mild surprise,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, though Cleveland wasn’t a shocking destination. They hosted the left-handed passer for a visit on the same day as Sanders and Cam Ward, who both received more media attention for their links with the Browns. But the team was planning to take Gabriel at pick No. 94 all along, even if Jalen Milroe – who went one pick earlier to the Seahawks – was still available.

The Browns’ acquisition of four quarterbacks this offseason has raised questions about their plans for the position moving forward. At least one will likely be surplus to roster requirements in Cleveland, but as Fowler notes, injuries around the league could draw trade interest in Pickett or Flacco, both of whom have moveable one-year contracts.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

Trey Hendrickson Will Not Play For Bengals On Current Contract

May 13th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

PFR’s latest poll produced quite the split, with at least 30% of readers viewing three of the Trey Hendrickson options as likely. Hendrickson’s comments Tuesday point to the NFL’s reigning sack champion aiming to avoid one of those paths.

Hendrickson made it clear today (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.) he will not play on his current contract in 2025. The ninth-year defensive end is due a $15.8MM base salary. The edge rusher market has climbed considerably this offseason, and Hendrickson’s deal was out of step with his production before the Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett extensions came to pass. This has created another Bengals standoff.

[RELATED: Hendrickson Holdout Squarely On Radar]

The Bengals have burnished their reputation as a stubborn organization in recent years. They did not pay Jessie Bates at the 2022 franchise tag deadline, and they swatted away trade requests from Hendrickson and Tee Higgins last year. That came after the organization did the same following Jonah Williams‘ trade ask in 2023. Germaine Pratt has since requested a trade. Ja’Marr Chase held in last year, as a handful of his receiver draft classmates received extensions while he waited.

That said, the Bengals appeared to make a substantial effort to appease Joe Burrow this offseason by extending Higgins along with Chase. Those deals, though, have complicated Hendrickson’s path back to Cincinnati. Following back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons, Hendrickson remains tied to the one-year, $21MM extension he signed in 2023. The former Saints draftee also has indicated this Bengals standoff has become “personal.”

Specifically, Hendrickson said Zac Taylor texted him to point out he would be fined by not reporting to the team’s June minicamp. This notification did not go over well with the disgruntled player, who described his lashing out at the Bengals today as “provoked.”

“A little bit transpired between me and Zac,” he said (via Dehner). “We’ve tried to keep it as least amount as personal as possible, but at some point in this process, it’s become personal. Being sent 30 days before mandatory camp, or how many ever days it is, that if I don’t show up, I will be fined, alludes to the fact that something won’t get done in that timeframe.

“With the lack of communication post-draft made it imminently clear to my party — meaning my wife, my son and my agent, a small group of people — that I had (to) inform that this might not work out. I don’t think it was necessary. I think we should have all hoped for the best until proven otherwise.”

The Bengals did give Hendrickson an extension, but that came via a one-year bump. In a rather interesting statement, Hendrickson said (via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway) he only signed that deal due to fear Cincinnati would use its franchise tag on him in 2025.

As it turned out, the Higgins standoff from 2024 bled into this offseason, and Hendrickson would have hit free agency at 30 had he not signed that Bengals extension. Burrow’s push for the team to retain Higgins this offseason effectively dropped Hendrickson in the team’s priority queue, but thanks to that extension, he is tied to the team for one more year. Considering Hendrickson’s age (31 in December), that extension has hurt him in an effort to capitalize on his recent production.

Hendrickson referred to the situation having become personal in recent weeks when asked if he wanted to remain a Bengal. No extension talks have transpired recently, refuting a post-draft report that indicated otherwise. The team has rejected multiple trade offers, after letting Hendrickson attempt to find a trade partner, but other teams had viewed Cincinnati’s asking price — reportedly more than a first-rounder — as unrealistic. An acquiring team would both need to surrender a high-end trade package and authorize an extension that would come in north of $30MM per year. With Crosby now at $35.5MM AAV, Hendrickson would have a case to push for that number. Deals for T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson stand to further shift the top of the market.

“I’m not going to apologize for the rates of the defensive ends being paid in the National Football League,” Hendrickson said, discussing the Bengals’ lack of an offer in the ballpark the NFL’s top edge defenders have established. Thanks to the Vikings’ one-year add-on for Andrew Van Ginkel, Hendrickson is now the NFL’s 11th-highest-paid EDGE.

While Watt, Parsons and Hutchinson paydays could give Hendrickson more ammo, the Bengals’ past also indicates they are comfortable holding players to contracts. The team would appear ready to bet Hendrickson would not pass on near-$1MM game checks during his crusade. Though, Hendrickson appears ready to display resolve on this front come training camp.

While the four-time Pro Bowler stopped short of indicating he was completely done with the Bengals, this relationship has clearly soured in Year 5. The Bengals added Shemar Stewart in the first round as well.

“I think every relationship is repairable, right?” he said, via Dehner. “Like, I think Myles Garrett proved that he’s a great man, and he’s done great things for his family, and obviously providing on and off the football field. But I think that relationship will repair with time. And same with this. This is just the uncomfortable business side that we’ve unfortunately had to deal with for the last couple years, and, quite frankly, I think we’re all spent.”

It took a market-resetting offer for the Browns to bring Garrett back into the fold. An extension surely would solve the Hendrickson problem, but with the team changing course and paying Higgins, it is far from certain the accomplished defensive end will see another Cincy payday.

Not seeing big money this year also could hurt Hendrickson long term, as he will be slightly less valuable at 31 next year. That has undoubtedly spurred his crusade this offseason, and the effort shows no signs of slowing down.

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