The Cincinnati Bengals appear to have hit an impasse with their best defensive player. Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson made a statement to ESPN today, excoriating his team for a lack of communication in contract negotiations since the 2025 NFL Draft.
Hendrickson has been seeking either a trade or an extension from the Bengals for over a year. There had been optimism of late that a deal could get done, but Hendrickson's latest complaint clearly indicates negotiations have taken a turn for the worse.
The Bengals entered the 2025 offseason with a laundry list of major contracts due. Quarterback Joe Burrow notably got out ahead of negotiations, pressuring his franchise to spend big.
So far, the once notoriously thrifty Bengals have delivered. They signed wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to record-breaking extensions. Hendrickson is the logical next highest priority on the team, but he and the Bengals are clearly struggling to find a middle ground.
Though Hendrickson may not have the name recognition of the league's most famous pass rushers, he isn't far behind in production. Since 2020, Hendrickson has made four consecutive Pro Bowls and notched an amazing 70.5 sacks, third-most in the league behind only Cleveland Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett (72.0) and Pittsburgh Steelers superstar T.J. Watt (73.5). 2024 was also arguably Hendrickson's best season yet: he made first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career thanks to a league-leading 17.5 sacks.
Garrett recently agreed to a monster four-year, $160 million extension, so the price of elite edge rushers is higher than ever. That contract is likely out of reach for Hendrickson, but he could realistically demand $30 million per year on his next deal and even flirt with total compensation in the neighborhood of the three-year, $106.5 million pact Maxx Crosby recently signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Securing Hendrickson would seem to be an obvious decision for the Bengals, but there's a reason it hasn't already happened. Ultimately, the team they've fielded over the past two years hasn't been good enough. They've missed the playoffs for consecutive seasons, and massive extensions for their existing stars will make it all the more difficult to build out the rest of their roster.
The Bengals' defense, in particular, has been helpless, even with Hendrickson dominating. They finished 31st in yards allowed in 2022 and 25th in 2023. If Hendrickson, who is 30 years old, regresses at all while on a significantly more expensive contract, the Bengals will have to absolutely nail upcoming drafts just to return to respectability.
Trading Hendrickson while his value is high is a logical team-building move for a Bengals team that should recognize it isn't ready to compete for a Super Bowl right now. Unfortunately, the 2025 NFL Draft has already come and gone, and the Bengals have missed their best opportunity to mitigate Hendrickson's departure.
Now, the Bengals have to consider damage control. They can risk alienating Burrow and other players by moving Hendrickson, or they can give Hendrickson a contract that could come back to haunt them. They've left themselves with no good options by waiting as long as they have.
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