Ja’Marr Chase could understand how the Cincinnati Bengals felt when the Baltimore Ravens signed Trey Hendrickson. After all, the wide receiver and the Bengals’ offense will now line up against one of their own twice a year. But once the dust settled, Chase made one thing clear and a request for Bengals fans as well: don’t hold a grudge against Hendrickson.

“So, all my Cincy fans, let’s not hold a grudge against Trey at the end of the day,” Chase said. “We all love Trey. Trey did a lot for our organization, alright. Let’s not hold nothing against Trey. No move, we not on that…NFL definitely a business at the end of the day and people can do what they wanna do and how they wanna do it.”

The Bengals have watched Hendrickson chase Lamar Jackson for the past five seasons. So if you told them the veteran edge rusher would now line up alongside Lamar and instead come after Joe Burrow, there is a good chance that move would not sit well.

And that is exactly what has been happening since the trade materialized, as Bengals fans have been furious about Hendrickson joining a division rival. Chase, meanwhile, has taken a different view of the situation and acknowledged it for what it is. In his eyes, it was simply a business decision.

And it is not difficult to see why Chase asked fans not to hold a grudge. Hendrickson originally signed with the Bengals on a four-year, $60 million deal in 2021 as a free agent.

However, his contract soon started to look modest compared to other elite pass rushers and the production he continued to deliver.

He recorded 35 sacks across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, including 17.5 sacks in 2024, which led the entire NFL. At the same time, other elite edge rushers such as Myles Garrett, T. J. Watt, and Maxx Crosby received massive contracts worth more than $100 million ahead of the 2025 season.

The Bengals, however, did not show the same urgency to extend Hendrickson.

The edge rusher openly expressed his frustration with the front office and admitted that negotiations had stalled. Hendrickson still had one year left on his deal worth about $15.8 million for the 2025 season. And while the Bengals and Hendrickson did not reach a full extension, they eventually agreed to restructure the contract.

That restructure increased Hendrickson’s 2025 salary by $14 million and pushed the maximum value to $30 million, which helped end his hold-in in August 2025. Still, a long-term extension never materialized. Fast forward to now, and the 31-year-old has officially left Cincinnati to sign with the Ravens.

But Chase’s request also carries more meaning beyond the business side of things. The Bengals signed Hendrickson just a month before the franchise selected Chase with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Chase and Hendrickson quickly became central pieces in the Bengals’ rise in the AFC. That run included an appearance in Super Bowl LVI and another trip to the AFC Championship Game in 2022. And for a broader context, Chase, Hendrickson, and Burrow even created history together in 2024.

They became the first trio from the same team to lead their respective categories in the NFL: receptions for Chase, sacks for Hendrickson, and passing yards for Burrow. But now one of the major pieces of that core is no longer in Cincinnati.

The move became official after the Ravens’ pursuit of Maxx Crosby collapsed because of concerns surrounding his knee, which required surgery in January. Once that option fell through, Baltimore quickly pivoted to Hendrickson and signed him to a four-year, $112 million deal with $60 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $20 million.

Still, there is one clear caveat. While Ja’Marr Chase has asked Bengals fans not to hold a grudge against Hendrickson and to view the move as business, many of them are not backing down.

The Bengals’ fans don’t agree with Ja’Marr Chase

If Chase hoped his message would cool things down, the early reaction from Bengals fans suggests otherwise. Many supporters understand the business side of the NFL, but emotions do not simply switch off once a player joins a division rival. As one fan bluntly put it, “Yes it’s a business. But yes we are fans, and we are going to act like fans.”

That sentiment captures the complicated middle ground many fans seem to be standing on right now. They can acknowledge why Hendrickson took the deal while still feeling uneasy about where he ended up. One comment summed it up clearly. “Can’t blame the player for getting his bag but he’s a Raven now so I hate him.”

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For others, the reaction has been far less conflicted. Once Hendrickson put on Baltimore colors, the emotional line was drawn immediately. Some responses were short and direct, like one fan writing, “Nah. He’s a Raven now.” Another took it a step further and said, “Hey Ja’marr respectfully STFU he’s dead to me.”

And then some fans still appreciate what Hendrickson did in Cincinnati, but are not ready to separate that from the rivalry factor. One comment captured that raw frustration perfectly. “Appreciate what he did here but f**k him.” It reflects a fan base that remembers the impact but struggles with the destination.

In the end, Chase’s message may have come from a place of respect and perspective. But fandom rarely works on pure logic. When a key player leaves for a division rival, feelings tend to take over first. And in Cincinnati right now, those feelings are still running strong.