It's been two weeks since the Cincinnati Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn got signatures from Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. All the attention since has been on Trey Hendrickson, who's wanting to sign his own name on his own multi-year contract extension.
When that could happen is anyone's guess. National insiders such as Ian Rapoport and Jordan Schultz expressed that the club wants to get a deal done with the 30-year old defensive end. Hendrickson has also stated he wants to stay in Cincinnati with a new deal.
But Blackburn and the Bengals know exactly what situation Hendrickson is in, and it's why they're resorting to their usual tactics.
Katie Blackburn speaks on Trey Hendrickson contract talks
Blackburn doesn't normally talk to the media, but the Annual League Meeting is an exception. She spoke to local beat writers about where things currently stand with Hendrickson, including her thoughts on what kind of offer that's in front of him.
“I think he should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn't think he'd be happy at,” Blackburn said. “I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point, and if he's not, you know, that's what holds it up sometimes. So, you know, it takes him to say yes to something, and also, we have all the respect in the world for him. He's been a great player. We're happy to have him. And so maybe we'll find a way to get something to work. We're just gonna see where it goes.”
That's a very blunt answer for the sake of standing firm in negotiations. Blackburn alluded to Hendrickson's displeasure at "certain rates," A.K.A. the average annual value that's been offered to him, as the reason why there hasn't been much progress on reaching a deal.
It's in Blackburn's interest to put pressure on Hendrickson, and she can do that because her side of the table holds all the leverage here.
Would it be much easier if the Bengals tore up Hendrickson's current one-year, $21 million contract that will only pay him $16 million this year and offer him a lucrative multi-year deal to replace it? Absolutely. But the Bengals don't have to do that because Hendrickson agreed to the one-year extension back in 2023. They have complete control over him, and they know he needs to play this right.
Hendrickson can threaten to hold out, skip training camp practices, and maybe even regular season games. That won't go well for him in the end considering he's on the other side of 30. A player at that point in his career can't expect to cash in at the level he desires after essentially throwing away a season.
If Hendrickson wants to earn one last major pay day, the Bengals are his best bet this offseason. He's coming off a career year in which he came close to Defensive Player of the Year honors. His market is never going to be better than it is now, but he can't realize that market because he's stuck.
Blackburn knows it, but she doesn't know everything.
“I'd be lying if I said I knew exactly what's going to happen,” Blackburn said. “So, we'll just have to see how it all plays out.”
It appears that the Bengals will continue being open to extending Hendrickson's contract, but only at their preferred price. There are no promises to make like they did with Chase being the highest-paid non-quarterback in history.
Even when it sounds harsh, the Bengals are utilizing their leverage like they always do. Hopefully this time, it will end in an agreement before things disrupt the lead up to the season.
