Bengals Pro Bowl Tackle Remains Confident Despite Offseason Distractions

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.

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 NFL.com about his stance on Hendrickson and Stewart's situations.

"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".

"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.