With almost every first round draft pick from this years NFL draft in the thick of training camp, positive contract negotiations, and in preparation for their new life in a new city, one rookie in particular who was selected 17th overall by the Bengals isn't having a great deal of success with his negotiations, and is seeming to highlight the poor man management within the Bengals front office.
The last couple of months have seen some of the league's best players receive massive deals such as Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett’s massive deals over the summer, but the Bengals star defensive end Trey Hendrickson is yet to come to a full agreement with the team, and is looking like the relationship between player and team is on thin ice. Similarly in newly drafted Shemar Stewart, negotiations and unnecessary clauses within his rookie deal have been poorly managed by the Bengals, and the relationship between the front office and player is already looking pretty bleak. But amongst everything that is going on with the Bengals in terms of contract disputes, do Cincinnati really have the worst man management and respect for their players in the NFL?
It seems as the offseason enters its return to football for NFL teams, Hendrickson and Stewart have almost joined in unison, putting heavy pressure on the Bengals, leaving their current edge rushing in pieces. With both holding off from attending training camp, and both pushing and insisting on the player first aspect of negotiations, the Bengals really aren't making it easy on themselves, and both players feel disrespected and have been managed poorly and been handled in a lazy manner by those upstairs.
Differently to Hendrickson, Stewart’s dispute is over the guaranteed money clause in his contract, a clause which states his guaranteed money within the contract can be voided had he breach the contract at any point. Stewart is arguing this goes against the principle of guaranteed money, and simply does not add up. Hendrickson on the other hand feels hard done by in terms of financials, as his terms have not been close at all to being met, and watching those around him on a similar level earning lifer changing contracts hasn't helped the Bengals situation.
As the Bengals see players like Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as the priority, those like Stewart and Hendrickson believe the Bengals are undervaluing them, and disputes over contracts could get even sour over the next couple of months had things not been resolved. Even if the disputes are worked out, and all is good on the players side, both believe the matters have become personal, and even if they are worked out, the relationship between players and front office will be cold, and simply won't be good for the team or their reputation. Cincinnati's poor man management is showing their weakness’s upstairs, and with two bad contract situations at once, their rep and attractiveness to big players may be declining rapidly due to off field issues.
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