J.J. Watt vented his frustration with a team that willingly chose to provide what he felt was a lesser offer to a Pro Bowler. The defensive line is the heart and soul of any defense. These athletes make the scheme work. Granted, while some do enjoy excellent compensation, others struggle to receive fair market value.
The future Hall of Fame defensive lineman sees this issue pop up and feels the need to opine. Watt, through a 12-year career, knows that the damage incurred upfront needs to be met with earned money. In the case of Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson’s negotiations, he sees a franchise attempting to bring back a standout pass rusher for less than his perceived worth.
J.J. Watt Blasts Cincinnati Management Regarding Hendrickson Contract
If he wasn’t knocking down 70 passes or tallying 114.5 sacks, Watt spoke his mind. Now, as an NFL analyst, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year gets paid to do so. The standout pass rusher continues to make the case for Trey Hendrickson. To Watt, the Cincinnati Bengals management needs to pay the All-Pro edge rusher what he is worth.
In a tweet, the color commentator offered a hypothetical conversation between Hendrickson, based on a statement from Hendrickson. Basically, according to the Bengals’ end, the team does not actively communicate with him regarding a new contract.
I assume it went something like this:
Last offseason: “We can’t/don’t want to do a deal now, but we’ll make you right next offseason and get it done early.”
Player has great season…
This offseason: Lowball offer and/or crickets.
Pay a fair price early or pay top dollar…
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt)
If you look purely from a numbers standpoint, Cincinnati does not look like the winner in this exchange. First, Hendrickson comes off his fourth-straight Pro Bowl at a premium position. More importantly, over his last two seasons, 34 games in total, he notched 35 sacks.
As a result, the fact that the Bengals are not talking to a player who averages a sack per game remains mystifying. Moreover, Hendrickson would like to return to Ohio and play for the team. 35 sacks, five forced fumbles, and 61 quarterback hits over a two-year span scream a monster raise.
Outside of Watt, other pass rushers took turns to register an opinion. Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy spun the discussion in a new direction, discussing whether teams will use age as a factor in who receives a raise and a new deal and who does not.
JJ the next excuse these teams can no longer use is AGE!!! Numbers are Numbers!! Trey deserves his cash money and will continue to ball except for 2 games this season! 😎
— Kyle Van Noy (@KVN_03)
Van Noy and Watt know the NFL is a passing league. The running back position became devalued as the edge rusher spot became a necessity and not a luxury.
If they do not proceed with caution, the Bengals will lose Hendrickson after the upcoming season for absolutely nothing.