While the Cincinnati Bengals front office has done what it can to keep the offensive stars together, the defensive side of the ball has been a different story, as Trey Hendrickson is still without the extension he's seeking. To make matters worse, Hendrickson has made it crystal clear that things are not going well between him and the team.
It shouldn't surprise anyone that star quarterback Joe Burrow has taken Hendrickson's side in the contract drama, recently stating "[Hendrickson]'s a guy that deserves to get paid and get paid what he wants, and what the market is."
This should come as a surprise to no one considering Burrow's been quite vocal about his guys getting paid all offseason. He pushed hard for the team to pay both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and what do you know? Both guys got paid. Now he's doing the same for Hendrickson even though the two don't play on the same side of the ball.
Joe Burrow defends Trey Hendrickson in contract dispute
Hendrickson has easily been the Bengals' most productive player on defense since he arrived to the team in 2021 and is coming off back-to-back seasons with 17.5 sacks. The Bengals spent their first-round pick on Shemar Stewart but there's drama happening with him as well.
The Bengals are not a team known for trading players when that seems like the easiest route and anyone who's followed along with NFL drama before has seen stuff like this happen. There's drama and it feels like a trade has to happen but then, all of a sudden, poof, a new deal is done, the player is happy, and all is right in the world.
While that scenario feels far off for Hendrickson and the Bengals right now, don't be surprised if a deal still manages to get done. The Bengals' defense depends on it in 2025.