What’s up with the Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson? After all, it was back on March 6 when it was reported that the Bengals had granted the All-Pro pass-rusher permission to find a trade partner, yet no deal has been reached. The same could be said about his extension as Hendrickson prepares to play out the final year of his contract after leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks.
However, The Athletic’s NFL insider Dianna Russini reports that drafting edge rusher Shemar Stewart with the 17th overall pick will have no short-term impact on Hendrickson’s future with the team. In fact, the Bengals are reportedly still trying to get an extension done with their four-time Pro Bowl defender.
“I did a little digging on it and I’m still getting really good vibes coming out of Cincy that they’re going to try to get a deal done with Trey (Hendrickson).”
Dianna Russini on Trey Hendrickson
Hendrickson is likely looking at a contract that rivals the highest-paid defenders in the NFL. If so, he could be set to land a contract that pays him roughly $40 million on an annual basis, which is a steep incline from the $18.6 million cap hit he’s set to count against the Bengals’ books in 2025.
While the Bengals were reportedly open to trading Hendrickson, no team was able to meet their asking price of a first-round pick. Some sources indicated that the Bengals’ asking price could come down if they were able to land a pass-rusher early on in the 2025 NFL Draft, yet, even after selecting Stewart, no deal materialized. Whether that’s due to the Bengals’ asking price or simply not receiving an offer to Cincinnati’s liking is unknown.
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