Hopefully they ‘get there’ soon.
The NFL is in full offseason mode as thousands of people, from aspiring athletes through scouts and members of the press have descended upon Indianapolis for the annual NFL Combine. The Cincinnati Bengals are no different.
The team’s de facto general manager, Duke Tobin, got behind the podium on Tuesday and touched a wide range of subjects, one of which was star defensive end Trey Hendrickson’s possible extension. Tobin said the two sides have had good discussions, but they’re not there yet.
“Trey is super passionate. It’s exactly what makes him a great football player. He is super engaged, and we’re cognizant that he’s been a great signing for us,” Tobin said on Tuesday. “We’ve been a great fit for him. He’s been a great fit for us. We would like to extend that. We would like to keep him not only happy but with us on a long-term basis, and we’re going to talk.
“He’s under contract right now, and we’re going to talk as the offseason goes, and hopefully come up to an agreement that everyone’s acceptable…but are we there yet? We’re not there yet.”
Hendrickson recently joined the Ross Tucker Podcast where he repeated the fact the two sides have had successful conversations, and he went as far to defend the front office when Tucker brought up how hard they are to negotiate with.
The Bengals are in the very beginning of what may be the most important offseason in franchise history. They not only need to keep Hendrickson happy, but they need to re-sign Tee Higgins and make Ja’Marr Chase the highest paid non-quarterback in league history.
The Bengals have the money needed to make all the necessary moves and then some. Hopefully the front office will agree to terms with their stars, or at least get beyond whatever “not there yet” means.
Stay tuned as we’ll (hopefully) get some good roster news in the coming weeks.
