Trey Hendrickson's expression of displeasure with the Bengals reached another former All-Pro edge rusher's scope of attention Monday.
J.J. Watt, a three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year and surefire future Pro Football Hall of Famer, took to social media to support Hendrickson following the edge rusher's statement. In classic Watt fashion, he was honest in his assessment: "Pay a fair price early or pay top dollar later."
"Teams want to treat it like a business, but don't like it when players do the same," Watt posted Monday.
Watt's response inspired an assortment of contributions from current and former NFL stars who rallied around the resistance to the concept of a hometown discount.
"Pay him for services rendered!!!" Saints edge Cameron Jordan wrote in a reply to Watt's post. "They could've took care of him last (year)! And he went DPOY worthy."
"Yes I 100% agree this is how teams do it and this is exactly how Detroit did me and why I was forced to leave because when it came to them paying me off of an elite 2014 campaign they expected a home town discount," former defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh wrote. "But they forgot they already got that from me in 2010 when I was supposed to be paid more than Matthew Stafford as the next first rounder.
"They said we can't pay you more than a QB, I said ok I'll wait until my second contract and then you can pay me more than him because I'll prove to you that I'm worth it and more!"
"JJ the next excuse these teams can no longer use is AGE!!!" said Ravens veteran Kyle Van Noy, who enjoyed a career year at 33 years old last season. "Numbers are Numbers!! Trey deserves his cash money and will continue to ball except for 2 games this season!"
Hendrickson is undoubtedly deserving of a raise. He led the NFL in sacks with 17.5 in 2024 -- his second straight 17.5-sack season -- yet he ranks outside of the top 10 in average annual salary.
In a market in which Myles Garrett strong-armed his way to a $40 million per year extension and Maxx Crosby earned raises in consecutive years, Hendrickson should be next in line. Instead, according to Hendrickson, he's receiving little more than radio silence from the Bengals.
Not that he needs to, but Watt's words could also influence the market for his younger brother, T.J. Watt, who is only a couple of months older than Hendrickson and is also entering the final year of his existing contract. Much like running backs rallied together last offseason to discuss the state of their market, it seems as if pass rushers are also noticing Hendrickson's situation could dictate how the market evolves in 2026 and beyond.
For the elder Watt, it's a matter of respect and deserved compensation. If anyone has the privilege to speak candidly on such a matter, it's Watt.
The discussion likely won't matter much, at least not in the short term. But as the calendar creeps toward June and July, this issue isn't going away unless the Bengals and Hendrickson can come to an agreement -- an outcome that doesn't seem to be very likely as of now.
