The Cincinnati Bengals, perhaps at the urging of QB Joe Burrow, set out to keep their best players this offseason. It seems they will fail in this endeavor, with star DE Trey Hendrickson now seeking a trade.
While that may or may not be in the team’s best interests, many wonder how Burrow will take the Bengals letting one of their best players go. Throughout the offseason, he has been unusually vocal as a cheerleader for his teammates. Over and over again, he has talked about how they can and should pay their stars due new contracts.
Obviously WR Ja’Marr Chase heads that list, and there is no question they will get that done. It appears the Bengals have prioritized WR Tee Higgins over Hendrickson, a possible nod of deference to Burrow. Many have openly wondered what kind of precedent this will set between the ownership and arguably the most important player in franchise history.
First it was longtime Bengals beat writer Paul Dehner Jr. who referenced the team’s need to keep Burrow happy. Later, Mike Florio raised the stakes by working out the potential implications. Some years ago, Carson Palmer basically forced his way off the team because he didn’t believe the Bengals were serious about winning (and he was right). Former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum raised the same alarm, albeit more cautiously, on NFL Live on ESPN yesterday.
“I think [the Bengals] should be very concerned about the status of Joe Burrow”, he said, citing his offseason comments. “I’m not saying we’re Carson Palmer 2011 yet, where basically he said he was gonna retire. But the fact that Joe Burrow spoke in such detail of what he wanted to do, I would be concerned if Tee Higgins isn’t signed to a long-term deal for a second year in a row”.
“And now [Trey Hendrickson] is gonna be going?”, he added, Burrow having also campaigned for the Bengals to pay him. “You want to be doing the opposite. You have a franchise quarterback, [so] you want keep as many of these players as possible. Again, I’m not saying that Joe Burrow’s on the precipice of retiring, but if I’m the Bengals, I’m concerned about where his mindset is”.
It’s worth noting that while Bengals ownership received a C grade on the NFLPA’s most recent report card—significantly better than the Steelers—they still ranked 25th overall. Most relevant to Joe Burrow, they ranked 28th in their belief that Mike Brown is “somewhat committed to building a competitive team”.
What happens if Trey Hendrickson is playing somewhere else in 2025—and Tee Higgins follows in 2026? What if the Bengals have another disappointing season despite Joe Burrow’s best efforts? Now, this is a team that isn’t far removed from a Super Bowl appearance, granted. Prior to Burrow, the Bengals hadn’t even won a playoff game since the 1990 season. But the NFL is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business, and don’t you think Burrow will be asking what Mike Brown has done for the Bengals if they continue to let some of their top talents leave?
