Bengаlѕ' returnіng free аgent ѕendѕ cleаr meѕѕаge to teаm regаrdіng Trey Hendrіckѕon

It's not just fans who hope that Hendrickson stays in Cincinnati.

Despite the fact that he was granted permission to seek a trade away from the organization, there are plenty of Cincinnati Bengals fans who are hoping that Trey Hendrickson hasn't played his last game in Black-and-Orange.

As it turns out, there are also plenty of players on the roster who feel the same way, including fourth-year defensive end Joseph Ossai, who recently signed a one-year deal in free agency to remain in Cincinnati for another season. He hopes that Hendrickson will be there too.

Joseph Ossai 'praying' that Trey Hendrickson remains in Cincinnati

Ossai spent the first three seasons of his career playing behind -- and learning from -- Hendrickson, and he wants that trend to continue.

"I'm praying they keep that special guy, because he's a great guy, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend, he's a phenomenal player," Ossaid said. "And I know he's wanting to do what's best for him and his family, and the Bengals are trying to help them and also do what's best for them But, hopefully, it works out. You know, God moves in mysterious ways, and hopefully it works out."

We all know how productive Hendrickson is out on the field. The dude led the league in sacks last season. But he's also equally productive as a leader in the locker room. The Bengals should think twice before moving on from a player like that.

“He’s a great person,” Ossai noted about Hendrickson. “He’s everything I want to be, in his football life and his out-of-football life. I think the reason we gel so much is I look up to him. He enjoys that role of being a mentor. He says he doesn't. He'll say he hates it when people come up and talk to him. But he enjoys leading. He enjoys showing people the way.”

When it comes to a potential trade involving the star defensive end, the Bengals have maintained an extremely high asking price, which indicates that they clearly value Hendrickson highly.

Hendrickson, who still has one year remaining on his current contract, has also made it clear that his preference would be to continue his career in Cincinnati. So, there's still a possibility that the two sides could ultimately come to an agreement on a reasonable extension. After all, there's a whole lot of offseason left. Maybe Ossai's prayer will be answered.