All Cincinnati Bengals fans were thrown for a loop when star defensive end Trey Hendrickson made a public trade demand this offseason.
It was the day before the 2024 NFL Draft, and it seemed so weird, considering he had just signed a one-year extension to keep him in Cincinnati through the 2025 season less than a year prior.
Then he showed up early at camp when he wasn’t required to, and all that anxiety that had been built up since his trade request seemed to melt away.
On Tuesday, Hendrickson spoke with the media about why he’s back in the facility despite the trade request.
“Nothing can replicate a team like football,” Hendrickson said. “When you get a group of guys like this that selflessly pay for each other, it’s special, and I don’t want to be a part of why it’s not like that. Coming back, like I said, was a no-brainer to build the foundation of what this team will look like.”
Hendrickson is coming off an excellent season. He and TJ Watt battled for the sack lead all season before Watt pulled away in the end. Hendrickson finished the season with 17.5 sacks, a career-high, and absolutely outperformed his contract.
Hendrickson is tied for being the 48th highest-paid defensive lineman in the NFL and is lower on that list than Michael Danna, Dorance Armstrong, Tyree Wilson, BJ Hill, and Sam Hubbard. There’s no question as to whether or not he should be paid more, and it’s possible he’s at practice now because he knows the Bengals will take care of him when they can.
When he was asked if he regretted the decision to sign his extension, he said no.
“No, my goal was to play here longer,” he said. “When they offered me a chance to play for Cincinnati another year, I took it. I would take it again.”
