Why Trey Hendrickson’s Trade Request From Bengals Could Differ from Jonah Williams’, Tee Higgins’

CINCINNATI – For the second time in six weeks and third in 13 months, a starter for the Cincinnati Bengals has requested a trade, with defensive end Trey Hendrickson following the leads of wide receiver Tee Higgins and tackle Jonah Williams, per a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Hendrickson is looking for more long-term security than he claims the team has been willing to offer, per the report.

The 29-year-old Hendrickson signed a one-year extension worth $21 million that would keep him in Cincinnati through the 2025 season.

You can expect the front office to follow its own lead from the Williams and Higgins situations and dismiss the request for the third time in a row.

Citing Security, Trey Hendrickson Requests Trade From Cincinnati Bengals

Where things could be different is that Hendrickson has a lot more leverage in his situation than in Williams and Higgins’.

Williams was, and Higgins is, looking at a significant salary number for the first time in their career. Sitting out and giving up $12.6 million (Williams) or $21.8 million (Higgins) was never an option.

Hendrickson already has $68 million in career earnings and not only plays a premium position but owns one of the largest gaps between starter and backup on the depth chart.

Whether this is a ploy to negotiate another extension or a more grim scenario where Hendrickson is fed up and ready to sever ties is unclear.

But it’s hard to image the relationship souring so quickly, nine months after Hendrickson sounded thrilled with the extra year and $21 million.

“I want to stay a Bengal, and they gave me a tremendous opportunity,” Hendrickson said before the second practice of training camp when the new deal was completely washed out of the news cycle after Joe Burrow went down with a calf injury.

Hendrickson was reflective that day, offering his gratitude toward the Bengals for signing him to his first big contract, a four-year, $60 million deal in 2021.

“Two years ago, there was a lot of question marks around my name,” Hendrickson said. “They believed in me, and I still have the same desire to prove them right in the way they’ve invested in me. And that’s not something I take lightly. I have a tremendous amount of respect for them and the way they handle things, the organization, the way they care about people, like I said earlier, so just staying in the building personally for me is important.”

The timing of Hendrickson’s request, of course, is intentional on the eve of the draft.

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The trade market for Higgins has been cool, but the market for Hendrickson could be busy, especially with the variable of the draft.

Carson Palmer requested a trade and eventually got it, and more recently, so did Carlos Dunlap.

If the Bengals don’t trade Hendrickson during the draft, it might be difficult to find a match afterward. Then it would be up to Hendrickson to decide whether it was a trade request or trade demand and how long he would be willing to hold out.