Bengals Trade of Trey Urged For Ex 1st-Round Pick

This week the relationship between Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson reared an ugly head. The contract disputes between both camps had gone on for a while but things escalated after Hendrickson's actions. 

Hendrickson went public with a statement after the Bengals stopped talks altogether, making a point that the discussions had gotten personal. He then appeared in front of reporters, carrying on that narrative and making it clear he will not play under his current contract. 

The sacks leader from the 2024 season has a $15.8 million base salary this season and wants an extension that will payout an average salary of around $28 million per year. 

If the Bengals do not want to pay him those figures or the relationship is truly strained beyond repair, the best solution would be to get something for him. Bleacher Report's Mo Moton suggested a few trades the team could make, one of them being a swap of sorts with the Green Bay Packers. 

His projection has the Bengals sending Hendrickson to the Packers for former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness and some future draft picks. 

“If the Bengals prefer to move on from Hendrickson, they may be interested in Van Ness, who’s seven years younger with upside and on a rookie deal,” Moton added. 

“The Packers can put together the most appealing offer if they’re willing to package the former first-rounder with draft capital. Hendrickson and Rashan Gary would be a fearsome starting duo on the edge.”

The Bengals have already drafted what could be Hendrickson's successor on the edge with the pick of Shemar Stewart in the first round this past April. Any addition and progression from Van Ness would be a cherry on the top. 

A Bengals' trade of Hendrickson should focus more on landing picks than anything. One of the foundational issues with this extension dispute at present rests in the resources the Bengals have already dished out to Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Cincinnati needs talent that is young and cheap to help them continue to build back toward contention. 

This is merely one possibility that the Bengals could explore. But a firm decision must come down in the coming months so that all involved can move forward.