Week 1 is right around the corner for the Cincinnati Bengals, as they\u2019ll look to hit the ground running and end their two-season playoff drought. However, with Trey Hendrickson still holding out due to his contract situation, Cincinnati are in a challenging spot.<\/p>\n
The Bengals\u2019 offense will likely be among the top of the NFL with Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, and Ja\u2019Marr Chase leading the charge. However, the big question for Cincinnati is one defense and whether or not they can stop the opposition.<\/p>\n
Cincinnati and Hendrickson haven\u2019t reached a contract extension yet, and it looks like he\u2019s prepared to sit out the season rather than play without contract security.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, former Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason appeared on \u201cUp & Adams\u201d<\/a> and stated that Cincinnati need to figure out a way to keep Hendrickson rather than letting him walk.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0ESPN analyst backs Bengals\u2019 bold preseason decision involving Joe Burrow<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know how you don\u2019t get him back into camp,\u201d Esiason told Adams. \u201cSo to me, he\u2019s a very important player. And players like Trey \u2014 they get upset when they don\u2019t feel like they\u2019re being treated right. Now, he was treated right when he came over from New Orleans. They gave him a contract, and he\u2019s played almost every single play that he could play for them. I think he\u2019s the perfect fit for Cincinnati, and they need to sign him.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to see some meeting in the middle. And my compromise would be two more years on a contract and probably about $15 to $20 million in more guaranteed money so he\u2019ll make his money this year. That\u2019s already guaranteed. He wants guaranteed money beyond this year. And I think he should be rewarded for what he\u2019s given them.\u201d<\/p>\n “I think he’s the perfect fit for Cincinnati and they need to sign him.”<\/p>\n Boomer Esiason has a solution for the Bengals ongoing contract dispute with Trey Hendrickson \ud83d\udcb0@heykayadams<\/a> | @7BOOMERESIASON<\/a> | #WhoDey<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/lVNhDlNBPO<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 23, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n While it would be ideal to have Hendrickson in camp now to get ready for the new season, the real concern is if he\u2019s not available by Week 1. Cincinnati still has time to sort things out, but the clock could start working against the Bengals if there\u2019s no progress soon.<\/p>\n