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Who's the Real Villain: The Cincinnati Bengals Front Office or Trey Hendrickson?

Jay Morrison|
Injured Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) walks the sideline in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 12 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. The Bengals fall to 3-8 with a 26-20 loss at home.
Injured Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) walks the sideline in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 12 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. The Bengals fall to 3-8 with a 26-20 loss at home. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Cincinnati Bengals

CINCINNATI – One of the most prolific pass rushers – and mercurial personalities – in franchise history is now a former member of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Trey Hendrickson has agreed to a four-year, $112 million contract with the AFC North Division rival Baltimore Ravens.

Whenever a star player leaves, the fan base rushes to assign blame.

The question here is, who is the villain?

Is it the Bengals front office for never giving Hendrickson the long-term extension he started seeking in 2023?

Or is Hendrickson the villain for signing multiple one-year extensions, then complaining about them, then walking away to join a division rival.

No one should blame Hendrickson for going to the Ravens, but some will.

Logic rarely prevails in these situations.

Hendrickson didn’t got to the Ravens to “stick it to the Bengals.” He simply followed the money.

But he’s going to be a Cincinnati villain for eternity.

The list of the biggest villains in Bengals history is stocked with guys who never played for the team.

Hines Ward.

Joey Porter.

Kimo von Oelhoffen.

Ray Lewis.

Patrick Mahomes.

Ben Roethlisberger.

Terence Garvin.

Keith Gary.

The biggest villain in team history played for the team – Carson Palmer.

A few others who once donned the stripes:

Jeremy Hill.

Stanley Wilson.

Lewis Billups.

And the leader in the clubhouse in the irrationally despised category is Cris Collinsworth.

So who is your villain?

Is it the Bengals front office for never being interested in signing him to a long-team deal.

Or is it Hendrickson himself for the constant complaining and negotiating through the media?

And if you’re going will Hendrickson, do you think he’ll ever surpass Palmer, who gave the front office and ultimatum to trade him or he’d retire.

Palmer held firm, and the Bengals eventually ended up granting his wish to get away from the franchise.

Or are the Ravens the real villains in the Hendrickson saga?

Hendrickson might not have been the only one surprised to see where his market value was when the legal tampering period opened.

Apparently the Ravens were as well, resulting in them rethinking their decision to give up two first-round picks in a trade for former Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro pass rusher Maxx Crosby.

Baltimore backed out of the deal Tuesday night, and 12 hours later they agreed to sign Hendrickson for more palatable compensation.

So who is the biggest villain in your mind?

Leave your input in the replies on X. Or feel free to add any other Bengals villains not included above.

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Jay Morrison
JAY MORRISON

Jay Morrison covers the Cincinnati Bengals for Bengals On SI. He has been writing about the NFL for nearly three decades. Combining a passion for stats and storytelling, Jay takes readers beyond the field for a unique look at the game and the people who play it. Prior to joining Bengals on SI, Jay covered the Cincinnati Bengals beat for The Athletic, the Dayton Daily News and Pro Football Network.