The Cincinnati Bengals appear to be moving away from one potential outcome as they try to sort out the future of star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports revealed on the “NFL on FOX Podcast” Tuesday that the Bengals are no longer considering a Hendrickson trade for the time being. Instead, the organization is fully focused on a new contract for the star edge rusher.
“The organization and ownership are fully prepared to move forward and attempt to negotiate a deal with him,” Schultz said. “I don’t believe they want to trade him at all. I actually would say, after talking to multiple people involved, that they have now reached the conclusion that a trade is really off the table.”
“Can both sides reach a fair agreement?”@Schultz_Report has the latest on Trey Hendrickson’s contract situation with the Bengals.
— NFL on FOX Podcast (@NFLonFOXPod) March 25, 2025
Check out the full episode: https://t.co/fxhSDcitBT pic.twitter.com/pHt3UDyixI
Schultz noted that the two sides still have work to do on sorting out the details of a new contract, but that Danielle Hunter’s one-year, $35.6 million contract extension with the Houston Texans could provide a blueprint for both sides.
The Bengals appear serious about keeping their core intact, no matter the cost. There were some serious doubts at the start of the offseason as to whether they would be willing to go that far. Roughly three weeks ago, they even gave Hendrickson permission to speak to other teams, even if that was not necessarily a clear indication they were set on trading him.
Since then, the Bengals have made an enormous investment in their two star wide receivers. Despite that, they seem to believe they can still afford to sign Hendrickson as well, just as star quarterback Joe Burrow has urged the team to do. His influence helped push other deals along, so the same may happen here.
Hendrickson collected 17.5 sacks last season and has 57 sacks in four seasons since joining the Bengals. The 30-year-old is entering the final season of his contract in 2025 and wants a big raise from the $16 million he is currently slated to make.
