Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals have had a heck of a time living up to their “wunderkind” billing since crashing the Super Bowl in the 2021-22 season. Since then, they won the AFC North in 2022 but fell in the AFC Championship Game against the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs, finishing 9-8 and outside the postseason in each of the last two seasons.
Nevertheless, the team still possesses one of the strongest cores in football, headlined by quarterback Burrow, wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
The issue is that the entire core, save for Burrow, is due to hit free agency this year or next. With Hendrickson demanding a new contract that the notoriously frugal Bengals have thus far been unwilling to provide, it appears the franchise and its star defender are at a crossroads.
Cincinnati Bengals Grant Trey Hendrickson Permission To Seek Trade
The Bengals’ defense was downright awful last year, finishing 25th in points and yards allowed and 28th in PFSN’s Defense+ metric in 2024. They finished 3-8 in one-score games and 2-7 against playoff teams. However, Hendrickson had the best season of his career, making the first-team All-Pro list and finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
He finished 2024 with 17.5 sacks, 46 total tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 36 QB hits. Hendrickson arrived in Cincinnati in 2021 after four years in New Orleans, signing a four-year, $60 million free-agent contract. He signed a one-year, $21 million extension in 2023 keeping him under contract through 2025.
Despite that success, it appears that Hendrickson has played his last down for the Bengals. It was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the team has granted the edge rusher permission to seek a trade this offseason.
The Bengals have taken the rare step of granting All-Pro DE Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade. “It’s been an honor and privilege to represent Cincinnati over the last four years,” said Hendrickson, the NFL’s sack leader. “I love this city and organization. I appreciate… pic.twitter.com/7P7Hbe2Y9e
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2025
As Hendrickson said through Schefter, he’ll explore his options as he and his representation reach out to teams that can package together enough assets to get Cincinnati to part with its All-Pro defensive lineman. Technically, that doesn’t rule out a possible return to the Queen City for Hendrickson if he doesn’t find a destination he likes.
However, it’s virtually impossible to imagine that the rest of the NFL won’t be chomping at the bit to trade for and subsequently extend Hendrickson on a market-setting contract. Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby just signed a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension, which is the new mark to beat for all defenders.
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Though Crosby is three years younger than Hendrickson, he’s never exceeded more than 14.5 sacks in a single season; Hendrickson has totaled 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons and more than 13.5 in four of the past five campaigns.
Given Cincinnati’s struggles on defense in 2024, it’s hard to imagine how trading their best defender will improve the team next season. But with Chase and Higgins still needing new deals, it appears the Bengals have chosen which member of their core will be allowed to walk away.