The Cincinnati Bengals are open to trading Trey Hendrickson, but it sounds like they have attached a high asking price to the star pass rusher.
Hendrickson is set to earn roughly $16 million this season in the final year of his contract, and he has been seeking an extension. With the two sides at an impasse, the Bengals have reportedly been engaging in trade talks centered around Hendrickson.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Bengals are seeking a young defensive player and a 2026 first-round pick in exchange for Hendrickson.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network said on Monday that Cincinnati has already received at least one offer that included a first-round pick. That was before the NFL Draft, and the Bengals were not looking to trade Hendrickson at the time. Pelissero suggested the asking price might be slightly lower now.
“Back before the draft the Bengals had an offer that was a second-round pick and change. At that time, they weren’t willing to engage with that. They wanted a first-rounder,” Pelissero said. “My understanding is that the price has softened or at least changed a little bit. At this point, the Bengals would want a player — somebody who could maybe even replace some of the production they got from Trey Hendrickson — as well as a pick in the 2026 draft.”
The latest on Trey Hendrickson, the #Bengals and a potential trade from @gmfb @nflnetwork: pic.twitter.com/ALeJBzqHk0
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 18, 2025
Those reports are a bit contradictory, as Russini says the Bengals are still seeking a first-round pick while Pelissero claims “the price has softened.”
Hendrickson has said he is willing to take less money in some ways on a new deal, but he accused the Bengals of low-balling him. There have been reports that the issue is Cincinnati does not want to offer any guaranteed money beyond the 2025 season.
Hendrickson was a First-team All-Pro last season and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting. He has 35 sacks over the past two seasons, which was the most in the NFL during that span. Hendrickson had 17.5 sacks each season.
