There’s only one thing left for the Cincinnati Bengals to make.
Rookie first-round pick Shemar Stewart has finally signed his contract, and so half of the offseason drama has ended in Bengals country.
Up next: Trey Hendrickson.
The Bengals and their star pass rusher haven’t seem particularly close in negotiations. Hendrickson is under contract for 2025 at $16 million and is probably worth double that.
Hendrickson is in Jacksonville, not even near the Bengals, as training camp has gotten underway this week.
The Bengals have nothing else to distract them anymore. The last off-season question to answer is Hendrickson’s contract.
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Cincinnati can’t really afford to lose Hendrickson. He has 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons. He’s by far their best defender, on a defense that doesn’t have a lot of star defenders.
Stewart will help improve the defense, but he could definitely use a mentor. Hendrickson would be that mentor, if the Bengals can get him signed.
Cincinnati’s Super Bowl hopes might rest on their ability to compromise with Hendrickson, and now is the time.
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