Whitworth is bringing logic into the puzzle.
Trey Hendrickson wants paid. Everyone knows that.
The Cincinnati Bengals clearly don’t want to pay the 30-year-old defensive end what he wants. Hendrickson is going to be seeking a long-term deal, which could be four or five years in length, and it is tough for a franchise to tie up significant capital for that long.
The Bengals have him under contract for one more season, and they are now allowing him to seek a trade, presumably giving him their permission to see what other teams could offer him sizable deals.
Andrew Whitworth knows a thing or two about having a contract dilemma with the Bengals, and he chimed in on the matter, putting a calmer attitude towards the situation. Here’s how he phrased his thoughts.
Why is everyone so dramatic ??
A player demands to be paid X. I don’t feel good about paying X. I say well I hold your rights. So if X will only make you happy. Go out there explore your real options. Come back to be with the number other teams are willing to pay you,…
— Andrew Whitworth (@AndrewWhitworth) March 6, 2025
A long-time offensive lineman for the Bengals, Whitworth opted to look elsewhere when he wanted to be paid sufficiently from Cincinnati and ultimately had a terrific end to his career with the Los Angeles Rams that ended with a Super Bowl win over his former team.
The same could happen to Hendrickson, who has had 17.5 sacks per year over the last few years. Having had 10 or more sacks in four of his last five seasons, Hendrickson has, at times, been the only real weapon for the Bengals’ defense.
