Trey Hendrickson's former Saints teammate shares inside scoop on contract frustration
Cincinnati Bengals players reported for training camp on Tuesday, but they were missing one of their best playmakers -- Trey Hendrickson. The Bengals' front office has been embroiled in a contract dispute with the four-time Pro Bowler for months, and true to his word, Hendrickson was a no-show for the first day of camp without a new deal on the table. And one of his old New Orleans Saints teammates has the inside scoop on the holdup that led to this holdout.
"They are atrociously, atrociously low," relayed former Saints linebacker Manti Te'o, who says Hendrickson remains disappointed in the offers Cincinnati has put in front of him. Specifically, the guarantees the Bengals are proposing don't line up with what other players at his position are receiving.
Te'o and Hendrickson played together for three years in New Orleans; when the Saints drafted Hendrickson out of Florida Atlantic, Te'o was added as a veteran free agent, so he helped show the young guy the ropes. Now Te'o is co-hosting NFL Network's Good Morning Football program and Hendrickson is waiting on a new deal. It makes sense that he'd exchange text messages with an old friend to pass the time.
We've considered before whether the Saints should step in here and try to bring Hendrickson home. They have the salary cap resources to pay Hendrickson what he wants, and with Cameron Jordan likely playing his last season in 2025, stacking up Hendrickson, Chase Young, and Carl Granderson would make for a nice transition. At the same time, Hendrickson isn't getting the Saints to the playoffs by himself. And if the Bengals are determined to keep him, they would probably ask for too much in a trade than New Orleans would be willing to spend.
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