Now that former Notre Dame football defensive coordinator Al Golden has settled in with the Cincinnati Bengals, some of his new players have been talking to the media about their impressions with most defenders singing their coach’s praises.
Golden hasn’t had much time with his new players but it looks like he’s made an impression with one of the best of the bunch. Earlier this week, the NFL’s sack leader, Trey Hendrickson weighed in on the man who could and should be his coach, assuming the pass rusher-extraordinaire can patch things up with the Bengals after starting the offseason in a bit of a spat with the front office.
Hendrickson talked to FanSided ahead of this weekend’s Super Bowl and expressed optimism about the former Notre Dame football team’s DC with the Bengals. "I have a lot of respect for him, what he's done in the college football arena, playing on the biggest stage," Hendrickson said of Golden. "Last time he coached in the NFL was our biggest stage, so he's coached in those big games. I think he's a great hire.”
Ex-Notre Dame football defensive coordinator gets big praise from NFL’s sack leader
Having said that, one of the biggest questions facing Al Golden is if he'll have Hendrickson's services at his disposal. The four-time Pro Bowler has one year left on his current contract, and he's seeking an extension this offseason.
The team and the player’s people are expected to talk very soon. Unfortunately, Golden is going to learn quickly that he’s signed up with one of the NFL’s worst run front offices. In the last few years, the team has managed to anger both of their star receivers in Tee Higgins and Jamarr Chase and have turned their attention to angering the defensive end who had 17.5 sacks this season on a defense that was near the bottom of the league.
Perhaps the former Notre Dame football defensive coordinator can convince the Bengals to pay Hendrickson what he’s worth and make him happy. That would certainly help a relationship that appears to be off to a good start.