Trey Hendrickson is back at Cincinnati Bengals training camp, although he’s not in uniform practicing yet.
That still has value, though, quarterback Joe Burrow told reporters on Wednesday.
“[M]ore so walking around, meetings, team meeting, training, room, stuff like that,” Burrow said, via SI.com. “He brings an intensity that is very unique, and so I think that’s good for us.”
The real notable comments made by Burrow, though, had to do with his thoughts on paying Hendrickson.
The star defensive end is due $16 million for the 2025 season. He has made clear that he won’t play for that amount, and he reiterated Wednesday in his own comments to reporters that nothing has changed on that front.
Burrow thinks the Bengals should pay him.
“This is the guy that has the most sacks over the last two years,” Burrow said. “Production is value in this league. I know you can think you’re such a good player, but to not have any production doesn’t really matter. So when you have a guy like that, you want to reward him.”
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Burrow knows his numbers, of course. Hendrickson has had 17.5 sacks each of the past two seasons.
The Cincinnati superstar QB is certainly much happier having Hendrickson on his side than having him chasing into the Bengals’ backfield.
Burrow did make clear, though, that he’s not the one making the decision here.
His hope for the rest of the negotiations should give Bengals fans at least a little bit of optimism.
“Not a lot of teams getting these big deals done early in the offseason, only a couple,” Burrow said. “I think it’s pretty commonplace across the league to have these things done around this time, a little later towards Game 1. So, that’s probably what you’re going to see.”
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