After a dispute during the last offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals gave Trey Hendrickson a contract restructure that increased the star pass-rusher’s pay by $14 million for the 2025 season.
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The Bengals gave Hendrickson an opportunity to seek a trade, but he could not find a suitor. The defensive end played and started in just seven games for Cincinnati, recording 16 tackles and four sacks.
Hendrickson’s season was cut short with a hip/pelvis injury. The Bengals placed him on injured reserve on Dec. 11.
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Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, it doesn’t appear likely the Bengals will sign Hendrickson this offseason as he heads into unrestricted free agency. Breer notes there is skepticism as to whether Hendrickson gave it his best shot to play through injuries after earning a significant pay boost.
“I’d be pretty surprised if Hendrickson ended up back in Cincinnati next year,” Breer wrote.Â
“The Bengals gave him a big raise, up to $29 million last year, and only got seven games out of him, and there were real questions on how much he did to push through injuries. (Particularly when juxtaposed with how maniacal Joe Burrow was in trying to return from his toe injury ahead of schedule.)”
The New Orleans Saints selected Hendrickson in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He joined the Bengals in 2021, earning four Pro Bowl nominations during his time in Cincinnati.
Hendrickson, 31, had his best seasons in 2023 and 2024 when he recorded 17.5 sacks in each campaign, earning All-Pro honors in 2024. Those numbers were the cause for the former Florida Atlantic standout to seek a hefty pay raise.
Hendrickson should find plenty of would-be suitors in free agency, though it’s unclear how much he can command in the market. He’s recorded 236 tackles and 81 sacks during his time in the league.
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