The Bengals have managed to sign three of the four players specifically named by quarterback Joe Burrow during his campaign to get the team to break the piggy bank for key members of the roster. The last man standing is defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
And the Bengals continue to bungle the situation.
Yes, it was smart to let him seek a trade. That helped him realize no other team would be willing to pay him what he wants AND give the Bengals the trade compensation they would have been seeking. But now that the trade ship has sailed, it's time to work out a deal that replaces the last year of his current contract, which pays $16 million this year.
Telling Hendrickson it's on him to get happy about they're best offer isn't the way to mend fences. He could say the exact same thing back to them: "I think they should be happy at certain rates that maybe they don’t think they’d be happy at. I think some of it is on them to be happy at some point, and if they're not, you know, that’s what holds it up sometimes."
Hendrickson has clearly outperformed his contract. He undoubtedly deserves a new deal. Still, the penny-pinching Bengals are looking, once again, to pinch pennies.
If anything, they're likely feeling emboldened by the deals they did with receiver Ja'Marr Chase, receiver Tee Higgins, and tight end Mike Gesicki. Each one ended up being a good deal for the team. Why not try to go four for four?
The publicly stated (and likely publicly communicated) wishes of quarterback Joe Burrow hover over the Hendrickson deal. The Bengals might hope the "get happy" vibe will extend to Burrow. They also might hope to score points with Burrow, Hendrickson, and/or the fans by pushing the idea that the offer to Hendrickson would make him "the richest Bengal defender ever." (If so, Burrow, Hendrickson, and the fans should respond with two simple words: "So what?")
So what will the Bengals do? They'll likely hope Hendrickson eventually becomes happy with the current offer, which we've heard is in the range of $28 million per year. And they'll also hope that, if Hendrickson doesn't get happy, Burrow won't renew his public (and private) effort to get the Bengals to change their ways.
