Looks like Trey Hendrickson has made up his mind. The defensive end is one of the veteran players who finds himself almost stranded, thanks to the Bengals. With contract negotiations reaching a standstill, and Hendrickson making it amply clear in the past that he’d rather have an extension, or simply leave, pressure on the front office has been surmounting, However, in a twist that no one saw coming, the 30-year-old is singing a different song lately…

Appearing on the Ross Tucker Podcast in an episode aired on February 23, the veteran stated firmly where he sees himself going forward.

“I love Cincinnati. My wife got a residency at the VA hospital. My son was born there. I’ve had my most productive years in the national football league [with the Bengals]. They give me a tremendous opportunity to represent them…the Pro Bowl and now an All-Pro. I love it. I love it there. I love the coaching staff that I made relationships with, whether they’re in the building or not. And, moving forward, I would like to remain a Bengal,” he said, before adding…

“It’s just some things in life. Like long-term security, being able to tell my wife where we’re gonna raise our son, and not having to worry about playing a violent sport, and shifting where we’re going. That would be ideal. But again, I wanna help them win a Super Bowl.”

Furthermore, Hendrickson stated: “If they have plans to move me or keep me, that’s up to them.” 

Hopefully, the team can reach an agreement soon, but if you ask Joe Burrow, he has already started counting the days till Hendrickson is back…

Burrow openly supports Trey Hendrickson and others

What’s the best quality about a quarterback? Obviously, he should be an effective leader, who looks out for his peers. And that’s exactly what the 28-year-old did as he demanded that the trio of Higgins-Chase-Hendrickson be brought back to his squad…

“We need (Hendrickson) back. We need to give him what he’s worth and what he deserves. He’s earned that. And we need our young guys to come on. We need to draft well. We need guys to come in and produce immediately. We don’t have time to wait around,” the QB had said on ESPN’s First Take.

However, at the end of the day, he’s not the one making the ultimate decision and writing those million-dollar checks.

Having said that, March 14 is the deadline for teams to submit their roaster Cap Hit money for 2025. Hopefully, Burrow’s wish will be fulfilled. What do you think?