Bengals exec Katie Blackburn explains why team allowed Trey Hendrickson to seek trade
PALM BEACH, Fla. – Cincinnati Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn gave her state of the franchise at the NFL’s annual meetings on Tuesday afternoon.
Blackburn discussed a number of topics, including why the team allowed Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson to seek a trade ahead of free agency.
Hendrickson is seeking a new contract with the Bengals for the second straight year. The two sides are trying to work out an extension, but nothing appears to be imminent. The Bengals aren’t a franchise that makes a habit out of trading away their players, especially one of Hendrickson’s caliber.
This situation is unique though, according to Blackburn.
“As you're trying (to put) all these pieces together, you have certain limitations eventually,” Blackburn said. “So he seemed to feel strongly about it, and thought the strength of interest out there was going to be at a certain level. And so, we said that it would be okay to at least explore and so we don't do that all the time, but in this case, we felt like it was the right thing to do, case by case basis every time.
"And he's still a Bengal, so we'll see. It's just something that we'll keep working through.”
Blackburn opted not to make any definitive statements on if a trade is still on the table. The Bengals did receive interest from other teams, but the compensation likely didn’t match what Cincinnati was hoping to get in return. And that’s why he’s still on the roster and the two sides continue to negotiate.
This leaves the Bengals and Hendrickson at a standstill and his long-term future with the Bengals remains uncertain at the moment. Blackburn said she “doesn’t know what will happen” with this situation.
“I'd be lying if I said I knew exactly what's going to happen,” Blackburn said. “So, we'll just have to see how it all plays out.”
The Bengals have already paid wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins this offseason, leaving Hendrickson as the lone player who is still seeking an extension. So, is it feasible to think the Bengals can pay Hendrickson what the market is after spending the amount of money they did for Chase and Higgins?
Blackburn says the ball is now in Hendrickson’s court.
“I think he should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn't think he'd be happy at,” Blackburn said. “I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point, and if he's not, you know, that's what holds it up sometimes. So, you know, it takes him to say yes to something, and also, we have all the respect in the world for him. He's been a great player. We're happy to have him. And so maybe we'll find a way to get something to work. We're just gonna see where it goes.”
It would be in the best interest for both sides to decide on whether or not Hendrickson is going to be traded in the next few weeks. The NFL Draft is around the corner and if the Bengals opt not to deal Hendrickson before then, other teams will fill their need at defensive end with draft prospects.
Hendrickson has outperformed his current deal, and the Bengals have acknowledged they want to give him a raise. One of the biggest stalling points for this specific negotiation is the market for the defensive end position exploding with Myles Garrett, Danielle Hunter and Maxx Crosby all resetting the market this offseason.
From Hendrickson’s perspective, he wants to be compensated appropriately for his production over the last four seasons with the Bengals as one of the top edge rushers in the NFL. Hendrickson’s annual salary of $21 million expected for the upcoming season ranks outside the top 10 for his position, according to Spotrac.
The disconnect right now is centered around what Bengals have offered Hendrickson to this point and what he believes his contract should look like based off the market for his age and position. Cincinnati’s front office has a number they are comfortable with giving Hendrickson and to this point, the two sides have yet to bridge the gap.