Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson’s contract situation has gotten out of hand. The All-Pro recently spoke out about how the Bengals have handled negotiations, and many fans have taken his side.
Let’s look at how some fans reacted to Hendrickson saying that he won’t play this season on his current contract.
Fans React to Trey Hendrickson Not Playing Under Current Contract
Hendrickson was a 2017 third-round pick of the New Orleans Saints and signed a four-year, $60 million contract with Cincinnati in 2021. He then signed a one-year, $21 million extension in 2023.
Hendrickson has been exceptional since arriving, making the Pro Bowl in each of his four seasons in Cincinnati. In three of those years, he’s totaled 14+ sacks, including back-to-back 17.5 sack campaigns. Hendrickson was named first-team All-Pro and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024.
Hendrickson’s on-field performance speaks for itself, but the Bengals haven’t gotten a deal done yet. His contract has been a topic of discussion since the Super Bowl, but still, no deal has been made.
The Bengals have not handled the Hendrickson situation well. Team EVP Katie Blackburn recently said, “It’s on [Hendrickson] to be happy at some point.” She said how the team has the utmost respect for Hendrickson, but that’s not what the All-Pro wanted to hear.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently posted an article from Bengals reporter Ben Baby with a Hendrickson update, captioning, “NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson said he will not play this season without a new contract.”
NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson said he will not play this season without a new contract.
More via @Ben_Baby:https://t.co/d8PuCVvtcP
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
Bengals fans, expectedly, haven’t been happy with the recent developments, and many took to X to vent their frustrations.
The Bengals absolutely butchered this situation, as usual.
— Muncy (@Muncy__)
One fan responded, “The Bengals absolutely butchered this situation, as usual.”
This was a common theme from fans. Another tweeted, “He for sure underpaid, Cincy been robbing him for years.”
Another fan replied, “He’s been outperforming his deal for two seasons. Give him his flowers and his money.”
One fan went on a long response rant, starting with, “He earned that leverage led the league in sacks.” The fan continued, “It’s business at the end of the day, and he’s playing it smart.”
Cincinnati is notorious for being one of the cheaper franchises in the NFL, but they dished out a lot of money to their elite receiving duo. Will they do the same for Hendrickson? Many fans feel that they should.
One fan had a lengthy response, “And he shouldn’t.. The man deserves a new contract.. He outplayed his current one and you can tell that behind closed doors they told him that they would take care of him.. I get it’s not in writing so they don’t ‘technically’ owe him but come on man..
“We have one of the current greatest pass rushers in the NFL who wants to be a @Bengals player.. Pay the damn man.. Why did they make players take pay cuts if you aren’t gonna use the money?”
And he shouldn't.. The man deserves a new contract..
He outplayed his current one and you can tell that behind closed doors they told him that they would take care of him.. I get it's not in writing so they don't "technically" owe him but come on man..
We have one of the… pic.twitter.com/o9sI8NikIg
— BengalsNTO (@BengalsNTO)
Hendrickson was also supported by former quarterback turned ESPN personality Dan Orlovsky. The ex-QB simply said, “Nor should he.”
The defensive end has clear support from fans and media members alike. It’s up to the Bengals to make things right and pay Hendrickson what he rightfully deserves.