Latest news with #TreyHendrickson
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bengals crushed by earned reputation with major contract standoffs
The Cincinnati Bengals have modernized in a few ways, which many fans recognize. Joe Burrow's arrival has accomplished that. But the old-school reputation the Bengals very well earned over the course of decades is something currently being leveraged in a very public fashion during contract standoffs with first-round pick Shemar Stewart and All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Advertisement So says Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated: 'Is Hendrickson taking advantage of the leverage created by Burrow's words and the spot the Bengals are in? He'd be smart to do that. Is Stewart piggybacking on the Hendrickson situation to get favorable contract terms? It wouldn't be the dumbest thing to do—though, as a rookie, it'll be vital that he's ready to go. Also important? That the Bengals, after their healthiest offseason in a few years, are ready to roll when they report to camp.' RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route Breer notes that, beyond the really obvious stuff from over the last few years, the Bengals left their comfort zone on the Ja'Marr Chase deal and made some scouting department shuffles after losing Christian Sarkisian. Advertisement But the Bengals will continue to lose the battle of public perception for the foreseeable future. Their history overshadows the fact that Hendrickson signed a short contract extension recently, is 30 years old, was granted permission to seek a trade and has walked back previous holdout threats. Cincinnati's history also, ironically enough, overshadows the fact that attempting to revise contract leverage, starting with Stewart, is another attempt at modernizing, considering some reporting says the language they want to insert is pretty standard for other teams. All of these are self-inflicted wounds. Some would call them growing pains for an organization trying to modernize. There will continue to be a lag between the team's more modern actions of late and actual public perception. Right now, players negotiating with the team are smart and within their rights to keep leaning into that leverage when possible. RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals crushed by earned reputation with major contract standoffs
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Key takeaways from Bengals OTAs
The Cincinnati Bengals are cruising through the offseason now that mandatory minicamp has concluded, and I'm here to break down what you've missed — just in case you haven't been paying attention. We'll start with the black cloud: Trey Hendrickson's very public contract dispute This back-and-forth has cast a shadow over everything else this offseason. The Bengals' defense allowed an appalling 434 points last year, dragging down Joe Burrow and an otherwise explosive offense and leaving the team with a disappointing 9-8 record. Advertisement Now, they're playing a game of chicken with the only proven pass rusher on the roster. Whether you're on Team Bengals or Team Hendrickson, there's no denying his absence is hurting the team. We're not done with contract issues The Bengals used their first-round pick on Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart, who could, in theory, take Hendrickson's place — if he weren't standing on the sideline alongside him. Stewart, too, is in a contract dispute with the front office and remains one of the few unsigned first-round picks from this year's draft. Guard overhaul under Scott Peters The Bengals cut Alex Cappa and restructured Cordell Volson's deal after both struggled to protect Burrow from interior pressure last season. They signed veteran G/C Lucas Patrick and drafted Dylan Fairchild out of Georgia. Advertisement Cody Ford, Volson, Matt Lee, Jaxson Kirkland, and others are all battling for roster spots, and it remains unclear who will start next to Ted Karras in Week 1 — or whether this revamped unit will be an improvement over last year's. All in on offense While new defensive coordinator Al Golden works to rebuild from the ashes of the 2024 squad, the Bengals appear all-in on their offense. Burrow is healthy, and he's surrounded by Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins — arguably the NFL's top WR duo — for at least the next few seasons. The plan for 2025 looks simple: score early, score often, and force opposing offenses into one-dimensional, catch-up mode. Hopefully, it works better this time than it did a year ago. Al Golden ushers in a new era of defensive success — hopefully Golden takes over for Lou Anarumo, now in Indianapolis, after the Bengals' defense played a leading role in keeping them out of the playoffs last year. Other than the rookies and a few rotational free agents, the 2025 defensive personnel looks very similar to 2024's — meaning it won't take long to see if coaching really was the problem. Advertisement Golden's full plans remain unclear, especially with Hendrickson and Stewart still absent. But frankly, it's going to be hard to be worse than last year's unit. Two players who drew good reviews in OTAs were veteran defensive tackle TJ Slaton and second-round rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. They may end up being the two biggest upgrades the Bengals defense gets this year, especially if Shemar Stewart continues to sit out and miss valuable development when training camp begins. Stadium upgrade plans Paycor Stadium's lease is quickly running out, and the Brown/Blackburn family is deep in negotiations with Hamilton County. Predictably, things in the Queen City are getting messy. Advertisement Expect this to get uglier before it gets resolved in the coming weeks. Not messing around During one OTA session, Burrow threw an interception on a pass intended for Mike Gesicki — one that Cam Taylor-Britt jumped for a pick. The corner, in need of a bounce-back year, wasn't shy about celebrating it. On the very next play, though, Burrow hit Chase deep, burning DJ Turner for what would've been a touchdown. That's the edge this team seems to have taken into the offseason. They took one on the chin last year and appear determined to prove it was an exception, not the rule. Spotlight on the front office The 2024 9-8 season will go down as one of the NFL's wildest statistical outliers. How many teams will you ever see with: Advertisement A quarterback posting 4,900 yards, 43 TDs, and 9 INTs, A wide receiver winning the Triple Crown, and A defensive end leading the league in sacks... Yet somehow miss the playoffs? The football world came down hard on the Bengals' front office this offseason — and deservedly so. Now, with public contract disputes and ugly stadium lease talks swirling, much of the goodwill earned from two deep playoff runs has been spent. All eyes are on the Brown/Blackburn family to right the ship. What were your biggest takeaways from OTAs? Let us know on Twitter and in the comments section! Who Dey!! More from
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bengals Pro Bowl Tackle Remains Confident Despite Offseason Distractions
Bengals Pro Bowl Tackle Remains Confident Despite Offseason Distractions originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Cincinnati Bengals once again face distractions related to player contracts this offseason. After securing long-term deals to star receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, it's now the potentially lethal edge rusher combo of Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart at the center of controversy. Advertisement Lethal, that is, if they ever hit the field at the same time. Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks last season and is demanding a contract extension with more compensation and longer security. Stewart is just a rookie but also exercised an offseason holdout because of disagreements with language printed on his first contract and practice waiver. Star quarterback Joe Burrow admittedly pinned Hendrickson's situation a "distraction", but other members of his explosive offense are thinking positively. Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. spoke to about his stance on Hendrickson and Stewart's situations. Advertisement "I'm very confident that they'll be out there," Brown said of the two at upcoming training camp in late July. "I imagine in Trey's situation, they'll get that figured out, man. He's one of the best in the league at what he does. I think in Shemar's case, I imagine they'll get that done, too, coming to terms on whatever the language or specific amount of money it is. These are two very important players for us. One being an All-Pro Defensive Player of the Year candidate, man. I imagine the team is going to take care of business." It's a bode of confidence, because the Bengals' defense desperately needs their pass rushing abilities. The team already posted one of the worst defensive units in the league in 2024 - even with Hendrickson's 17.5 sacks - so adding a first-rounder in Stewart to the mix could help tremendously. The defense may still lag behind the production of Brown's offense, which he called "special". Advertisement "We're really special," Brown said. "I'm really proud of the way that we worked this offseason, just with the intent and focus from us as individuals, as players. Everything that the coaches threw at us, we were able to respond really well. I mean, I'm excited, man. At the end of the day, paying Tee and Ja'Marr, making them more comfortable, knowing that they're going to be able to go out there and sell out even more than they have in the past, I think it's only going to make us better, to be honest." While the offense - especially the league's most potent pass game - may not need a ton of fine tuning, Brown acknowledged a new mindset that should encourage the team to sharpen even more. "For us, I think the focus has been more on this year as opposed to last year and previous years," Brown said. "There's so many areas that we want to take the next step in. I think at the end of the day we know who we are, we know what our DNA is, especially as a team and as an offense. So, we have a ton of confidence in that." Now it's up to the front office to focus on the defense's contract dilemmas so that Who Dey Nation can reach this confidence level. Advertisement Related: Bengals' Impressive Ranking Leaves One Major Question Related: Bengals Near Bottom of NFL Defensive Rankings This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bengals' former late-round draft pick could have big role in 2025
There's a lot to like about the pass-rushing group going into 2025 for the Cincinnati Bengals. Provided, of course, one ignores the messy contract drama for Trey Hendrickson and first-round rookie Shemar Stewart. Advertisement But even including those two, the Bengals have first-round product Myles Murphy and are excited about the return of Cam Sample and Joseph Ossai also likely getting more looks. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic tacked on another name to keep in mind, too: 'Another name of note, further under the radar, is 2024 sixth-round pick Cedric Johnson. He found himself in regular rotations and has received praise from different corners of the building throughout the offseason program. He's the only edge who fits the speed rusher profile at 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, and could find a subpackage role because of it.' RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route Advertisement Cedric Johnson was a pretty popular pick in the minds of fans when the Bengals made it in the 2024 draft. Like others before him, he was one of those guys who appeared to have huge upside, once the logjam of names like Sam Hubbard cleared up a bit. Now, it has. Like the rest of the defense, there's some seriously impressive upside, but nothing much has been proven yet. The youth movement is an overall high-upside gamble to complement what should be an elite offense again. Johnson locking down a subpackage role in an effective manner and getting notable snaps would mean the defense is forcing opposing offenses into pass-rushing situations in the first place, which would imply the unit is improved from last year, too. RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals' former late-round draft pick could have big role in 2025
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Insider says Steelers will extend T.J. Watt before Trey Hendrickson gets his Bengals deal
Insider says Steelers will extend T.J. Watt before Trey Hendrickson gets his Bengals deal The Steelers, T.J. Watt contract situation just received some positive support from insider Peter Schrager. On a recent episode of The Pat McAfee Show, Schrager was asked to share his opinion on whether Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson or Watt would receive their pay first — and this was his argument: "I think T.J.," Schrager said. "I think T.J. Watt. I feel like I know both sides are really motivated to get something done here. They don't want to go into training camp and have this thing drag on. … Now, from what I'm told, both sides want it to get done. Obviously, T.J. Watt's going to want a certain amount of money. Question is, is it a game of chicken where it's, okay, T.J. Watt takes a deal that the Steelers offer and then, a week later, Micah Parsons blows his deal out of the water and we're in the same place that we were beforehand." Even if the Steelers act before the Bengals, Raiders DE Maxx Crosby's and Browns DE Myles Garrett's deals make extending Watt difficult — but waiting until Parsons signs a historic extension with the Cowboys could make the negations in Pittsburgh near impossible. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
