The 2025 offseason has been historic for the Cincinnati Bengals. The team uncharacteristically handed out massive extensions to WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but defensive end Trey Hendrickson is still looking to get paid.
Since arriving in Cincinnati, Hendrickson has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, but the Bengals may not be able to pay him what he’s worth after the new extensions. Head coach Zac Taylor recently spoke about the four-time Pro Bowler and briefly updated his contract situation.
Zac Taylor Praises Trey Hendrickson, Still Working Through Contract Extension
The New Orleans Saints selected Hendrickson in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He spent the first three years of his career as a rotational player before breaking out in 2020. The defensive end posted 13.5 sacks and 25 quarterback hits in his final season as a Saint, leading to a four-year, $60 million contract with Cincinnati.
He’s made the Pro Bowl every year as a Bengal, collecting 14 or more sacks in three of those seasons. The last two years have been exceptional, with Hendrickson posting 17.5 sacks in back-to-back campaigns. He added 46 tackles and 36 quarterback hits en route to a first-team All-Pro selection and second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024.
Cincinnati wisely gave Hendrickson a one-year extension in 2023, but that will only pay him $21 million next season. Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett signed big-money extensions this offseason, with Garrett resetting the EDGE market at $40 million per year.
The Bengals are a notoriously frugal franchise, but their recent receiver contracts will likely prevent them from paying Hendrickson close to his worth. Taylor recently held a press conference at the NFL annual meeting and was asked about Hendrickson.
Zac Taylor calls Trey Hendrickson a premier pass rusher in the NFL and that the Bengals are still working through the contract process pic.twitter.com/PI6D3IrpM4
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) March 31, 2025
Taylor said, “Very consistent, not just two years, four years for us. He’s one of the premier pass rushers in this league. Teams have to devote a lot of attention to him as they start their game plan each week. He’s been a guy who works his tail off day in and day out, 365 days a year, which I can appreciate. We’ll just continue to work through the process with Trey.”
Cincinnati has put itself in a bad spot with Hendrickson by waiting to get a deal done. They’ve let the market get reset rather than resetting it themselves. Crosby’s contract will pay him $35.5 million per year, and while the Bengals could have afforded that, they opted to extend Chase and Higgins first.
The logic makes sense, as Joe Burrow and the offense drive the Bengals to success. However, 2024 should have been a wake-up call that the team needed to invest in the defensive side of the ball.
Even with Hendrickson’s 17.5 sacks, the Bengals finished No. 28 in PFSN’s Defense+ metric last season. Yes, Cincinnati had to pay both receivers, but it may have sent a negative message to its defensive players at the same time.