Ex-NFL GM casts concerns over Joe Burrow’s commitment to Bengals after Cincinnati allows Trey Hendrickson to seek trade

Allowing Trey Hendrickson to explore a trade option could have a devastating domino effect on the Cincinnati Bengals, particularly their star quarterback. That’s according to former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum, who is concerned that this approach by the Bengals front office will affect Joe Burrow.

On Friday’s edition of “Get Up” on ESPN, Tannenbaum said:

If I’m Cincinnati, I am significantly worried about Joe Burrow. He sat down with ESPN at the Super Bowl and talked in great detail about what players should get paid, cap numbers and cash flow, Tannenbaum said. [0:00]

There could be some significant big names leaving Cincinnati when free agency opens on Wednesday, with one of Burrow’s top receivers in Tee Higgins on the market, and now Hendrickson, who has one year left on his Bengals deal and is due to make a base salary over $15 million per Spotrac. He’s been a massive part of their pass rush, posting 17.5 sacks in each of the previous two seasons.

"Those guys never ever ever leave your building ever," Tannenbaum said of Hendrickson.

Hendrickson came to the Bengals in 2021 from the New Orleans Saints on a four-year, $60 million deal, helping them make it to the Super Bowl in his first season.

The Bengals are an organization with a long reputation for rarely spending big money.

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Burrow needs help

Joe Burrow led the NFL in passing last season (4,918) but can’t do it all by himself, as evidenced by the fact the Bengals have missed the playoffs in the past two seasons. Sure, his injury issues are a part of it, but if the front office doesn’t bring Hendrickson and Higgins back, Tannenbaum might be right and “Joe Cool” could be looking to move on.

Without Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase will draw all of the attention, and it will be much harder for him to get open for Burrow. Chase and Higgins together put up a combined 2,619 yards receiving in 2024. Mike Gesicki was their next-highest receiver in that department, with 665 yards through the air.

Hendrickson, meanwhile, had nearly half of this team’s 36 total sacks in 2024, with the Bengals finishing No. 25 in that category last season. Pass protection is another big concern for this team, with Burrow taking 48 sacks last season, the second-most in his NFL career.

Without Hendrickson and/or Higgins, moving the ball effectively and consistently will be much harder for the former Ohio State and LSU product as they’ll be more predictable on offence, while the defence could be on the field for long stretches.

In September 2023, Burrow signed a five-year $275 million contract with the Bengals, earning a league-high annual salary of $55 million. He led the league in passing touchdowns last season (43) with a passer rating of 108.5.