Joe Burrow Reportedly Doesn't Blame Bengals for Trey Hendrickson Contract Situation

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow reportedly isn't pointing fingers over the fact that the Bengals have yet to come to terms on a new contract with star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson.

During an appearance Monday on Get Up, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said the following about how Burrow views the situation:

"I checked with a source, and I was told that Burrow really doesn't blame people behind the scenes, front offices, coaching staff, other players, when it comes to football operations. He puts it all on his shoulders and says, 'Hey, we have to get this done. I'm the quarterback of this franchise, let's do it.' But he does acknowledge that this is a distraction, that getting Hendrickson done is important.

"Now, Burrow has stumped publicly for Trey getting paid. He did the same for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and those guys got taken care of. So, still the hope for the Bengals' blueprint is that Hendrickson is the third star that they pay. They are dedicated to it, but they have their limits right now and that's the issue."

Hendrickson has made it clear that he does not intend to play for the Bengals in 2025 without a new contract, and since the two sides have yet to reach an agreement, Hendrickson holding out into the regular season does appear to be a realistic possibility.

Fowler provided additional context regarding a potential Hendrickson holdout in training camp and potentially the regular season after he already missed mandatory minicamp:

"This is the stickiest situation of them all because even though the Bengals and Hendrickson have resumed contract talks in recent weeks, it has not led to a deal. My sense is Hendrickson would like long-term security despite being age 30. He doesn't really want a shorter-term deal. So, the Bengals are going to have to relent in some of those areas.

"We know this is going to be a big number. He just wants something that can measure with his skill set as one of the top five or six pass rushers in the entire NFL. So, he's dug in here though, make no mistake. Missing training camp, even missing games is a real possibility on the Bengals' radar right now."

Two weeks ago, Fowler (h/t ESPN's Ben Baby) reported that Hendrickson and the Bengals resumed contract talks, but there is no indication that the sides have made any legitimate progress.

Hendrickson is set to enter the final year of his current contract in 2025, and he is coming off back-to-back career years.

In 2023, Hendrickson set a new career high with 17.5 sacks. He matched that sack total last season, which was good for tops in the league. He was also named a First Team All-Pro for the first time and a Pro Bowler for the fourth time, and he finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Bengals owner Mike Brown and general manager Duke Tobin have thrown a ton of money around this offseason, primarily on the offensive side of the ball.

After Burrow went public with his desire to sign Chase, Higgins, Hendrickson and tight end Mike Gesicki to new deals, three of them were rewarded.

Chase signed a four-year, $161 million deal; Higgins signed a four-year, $115 million contract and Gesicki inked a three-year, $25.5 million pact.

Hendrickson is the last man standing without a deal, and the Bengals can ill afford to be without him next season.

He is by far the best player on a defense that struggled mightily as a whole last season, as it ranked 25th in both total defense and scoring defense.

Even with the No. 6 scoring offense in the league, the Bengals missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record largely because of their defense last season.

The defense would conceivably be even worse without Hendrickson, and if he doesn't play in 2025, Cincinnati would be at risk of missing the playoffs for a third straight season.