The situation is tangled. The lingering contract standoff between Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals ‘ front office has turned into a bigger conversation about how this team operates. DE Hendrickson is entering the one-year, $21 million extension that he signed back in 2023, which is tacked onto the original four-year, $60 million deal. On paper, the Bengals and their star player aren’t far apart. Both sides have found common ground on salary and the length of the deal. But the sticking point? It’s the guaranteed money beyond 2025. For now, Cincinnati is holding firm, and Hendrickson is holding out. But that isn’t even their real problem. Well, only a few could put the issue in front as bluntly as the three–time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth.

Former NFL lineman and now

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