The Cincinnati Bengals have still yet to get a contract extension done for All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. And while Hendrickson decided to end his holdout from Bengals training camp on Wednesday, he is still clearly not pleased with his current situation in Cincinnati. And star quarterback Joe Burrow seems to be fully in his corner as he awaits a new deal.
Hendrickson has been one of the most impactful players in all of football since joining the Bengals in 2021, reaching the Pro Bowl in all four of his seasons with the organization. Last season in particular, Hendrickson made the leap from a great player to an elite-level player, leading the NFL in sacks with 17.5 sacks in 2024.
This kind of production undoubtedly warrants being paid like one of the top pass rushers in all of football. And yet, the Bengals still haven’t been able to meet his contract demands.
Speaking to Hendrickson’s importance to the Bengals on Wednesday, Joe Burrow explained that he would like to see the Bengals “reward” Hendrickson with his desired contract for all he has done in Cincinnati.
“This is the guy that has the most sacks over the last two years,” Burrow told reporters on Wednesday, via Russ Heltman of SI.com. “Production is value in this league. I know you can think you’re such a good player, but to not have any production doesn’t really matter. So when you have a guy like that, you want to reward him. He brings an intensity that is very unique, and so I think that’s good for us.”
When someone like Joe Burrow speaks, the Bengals will undoubtedly listen. So maybe this comment from Burrow will contribute to the Bengals organization finally caving and opening up the check book for Hendrickson sometime in the near future.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.