While Jerry Jones may be refusing to negotiate with star pass rusher Micah Parsons on principle, the Cincinnati Bengals have an equally tough contract situation with 17.5-sack man Trey Hendrickson. The All-Pro pass rusher is seeking a contract extension that the team has been reluctant to give.
For years the Bengals have been accused of being “cheap” in terms of player contracts, hence their struggles on defense in 2024. While the team may have answered those allegations with historic deals for their wide receivers, a new allegation from Bengals legend Boomer Esiason may bring them back tenfold.
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On the latest edition of his Boomer & Gio radio show, Esiason said that the Bengals invited him to attend the upcoming Bengals Ring of Honor ceremony to induct team legends Dave Lapham and Lemar Parrish during Week 8. But he then revealed that while the team offered him two tickets to the game, he was expected to pay for his own flight and hotel without any comp (compensation).
Esiason admitted that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to go under those circumstances and wondered if he might come off as “elitist” for that.
“I don’t know how to take this invite,” Esiason said. “Do you think I’m an elitist if I say no to that?”
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According to ProFootballTalk, the Bengals have said that they did reserve a block of hotel rooms as a discounted rate for the players invited to the Ring of Honor induction ceremony.
CINCINNATI, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 25: Former Cincinnati Bengals player Boomer Esiason walks across the field at halftime of the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on September 25, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Is he being an elitist?
Esiason played 10 of his 14 NFL seasons as a quarterback for the Bengals, winning league MVP honors in 1987 while leading them to the Super Bowl. He was one of the first inductees into the team’s Ring of Honor and has enjoyed a wildly successful second career as a broadcaster.
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On one hand, an argument can be made that millionaire athletes, even former athletes, can probably afford to go out of pocket a little bit for a plane ticket and a hotel room. If average Joes can do it, so can they.
On the other hand, an invitation to a big event like that should probably include a comp when it’s being put on by the owner of a billion-dollar NFL franchise. Far smaller companies comp their guests in a greater variety of ways.
NFL fans seem split between the two arguments:
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“Not gonna lie, it might seem a bit entitled. To those who think so I can understand your line of thinking but, he put his life on the line for over a decade. He did it so well you put him in the Ring of Honor and although you paid him millions he made you plenty more. Just pay for the man accommodations,” one user replied.
“What a joke. Cheap ass bengals!” wrote another.
“I can’t believe everyone on his side. He is not the inductees, he’s simply been invited to celebrate someone else. Should you pay for his room & flight if you invite him to your wedding? Graduation? Reunion? He’s wrong & had the gall to out Trey Hendrickson’s home location.”
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“They put you in the Ring of Honor. They paid you millions. Why should they have to pay your accommodations now to honor other Bengals. You should be thanking them for asking you to join and you should just say ‘Thank you’ instead of complaining.”
Do you think the Bengals should comp all of their invitees?
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.