Despite being one of the Cincinnati Bengals' biggest stars, a top NFL insider claims the team is balking at giving him the contract guarantees they gave to Joe Burrow , Tee Higgins , and Ja'Marr Chase.
With NFL free agency and the draft in the rearview, the focus around the league is on minicamps and contract disputes. The biggest in the league right now is between the Bengals and four-time Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson . The star defensive end is in the final year of his contract and understandably wants a new long-term deal.
Hendrickson and the team would like to avoid a training camp hold-in. But various reports — including from the player — have claimed the two sides are still far apart on a deal. He is one of their best players on defense. Retaining him would seem like a priority. However, ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano believes the current divide is that he wants the same long-term guarantees as other stars on the team. And the Bengals aren't budging.
"The Bengals' long-held rule was to guarantee no money outside of the first year — specifically, the signing bonus," Graziano wrote. "They broke this rule for quarterback Joe Burrow a couple of years ago and broke it again this year for Chase and Higgins.
"I don't know for a fact that future-year guarantees are the holdup in Hendrickson's deal. But it's a fair assumption to make based on what I've heard from sources. And if you're wondering why it would be a holdup for Hendrickson when it wasn't for Burrow, Chase, and Higgins, the answer is age."
The defensive superstar will turn 31 in December. Burrow will hit 29 the same month, while Chase is 25 and Higgins is 26. All three already have higher value because of how the game is played today. But just entering their prime years is a key part of why Cincinnati is willing to make a guaranteed investment in them. It could be argued that Hendrickson is starting to exit his prime years heading into the 2025 season.
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