CINCINNATI — Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals remain at odds over the star pass rushers current contract.
After Hendricksons surprise press conference on May 13, it has become clear just how little negotiations have moved in a positive direction.
Hendrickson spoke with Bengals media for roughly 25 minutes where he pinpointed how personally the stalemate has become.
“We’ve tried to keep it as least amount as personal as possible, but at some point in this process it’s becomes personal,” Hendrickson said. “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 time frame.”
This has prompted many around the NFL to speculate that the Bengals may opt to move Hendrickson in a trade, however NFL Insider Ian Rapoport appeared on the Pat McAfee Show today and cleared the air on how likely a trade involving Hendrickson is.
“I would be surprised as of right now if he got traded only because; like lets say the Bengals held out for a premium draft pick, we’re talking first rounder. For someone as talented as Trey Hendrickson that would make a lot of sense, the problem is value wise not every team wants to give up a first rounder and then a new huge contract to someone who is 30 years old, just philosophically,” Rapoport said. “Like I remember when Bill Belichick was coaching the Patriots before North Carolina, he was the greatest coach of all time with the Patriots. I don’t think he ever traded for a player and then gave him a new contract, like some people philosophically don’t believe in that. So if you’re gonna do that now even if you found a first rounder, you’re not gonna use it until next year so that hurts the Bengals this year. Because if it had happened before the draft, you could have just gotten a player to help you this year. So the timing makes a trade very hard, I still believe the Bengals are gonna pay him.”
Rapoport then followed up with regards to Hendricksons media appearence last week.
“I don’t know that going to the press helps. The way the Bengals are might’ve been like ‘alright, you wanna do that? Do your thing, we’ll do it when we’re ready.’ But I still think he is a huge part of the organization, they want him to stay, and I believe they will pay him.”