Not every contract standoff that could potentially lead to a training camp holdout should be viewed as a blunder. The Commanders, for example, have yet to extend wideout Terry McLaurin which has led to some public tension.
However, McLaurin will turn 30 in September and isn’t to command a contract at the very top of the market. Washington needs to get him under contract, but it shouldn’t be significantly impacted by extensions like Garrett Wilson’s four-year, $130 million deal.
The Bengals, though, have likely seen Trey Hrndrickson’s price tag go up substantially over the past few months. While he’s 30, he’s also the NFL’s reigning sacks leader. And while Hendrickson may not expect to top the edge-rusher market, he deserves a raise over the $21 million he’s set to earn. That raise might not have been as substantial before the Bengals watched Maxx Crosby, Danielle Hunter, Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt take turns resetting the market—Watt now leads it with a deal worth $41 million.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the Bengals have made “several offers, including a recent one” to Hendrickson. Maybe they will get him extended and into camp, but they probably could have done it for millions less by extending him months ago.
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