The conversation around Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals just got a lot more heated. Tension around the star pass rusher’s future is rising, and now former Dallas Cowboys lineman Marcus Spears is throwing fuel on the fire with new comments that Bengals fans definitely won’t want to hear.
Why Does Marcus Spears Think Trey Hendrickson Is on His Way Out of Cincinnati?
Spears, speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, didn’t hold back. “I think this is for sure the last year for Trey Hendrickson in Cincinnati,” he said. Spears called out the Bengals for not giving Hendrickson a better contract and said he thinks plenty of other teams would be lining up for the pass rusher’s services.
“I think this is for sure the last year for Trey Hendrickson in Cincinnati..
He has been in a contract dispute FOREVER and the Bengals should have paid this man..
I’m sure another team would love his services”@mspears96 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/7pangoWdd4
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 14, 2025
This contract battle has dragged on, with Hendrickson making his frustrations clear. According to PFSN’s Max Dorsey, Hendrickson is set to make $16 million in 2025, but he’s not happy with those terms and doesn’t want to play under the current contract.
After a brief holdout at the start of training camp, Hendrickson returned to the building, but he hasn’t been taking part in team drills. That “hold-in” means he’s still around, just not practicing as usual.
Indianapolis head coach Zac Taylor talked to Kay Adams on the “Up and Adams Show” about what Hendrickson means for the group, especially the younger defenders on the roster.
Bengals HC Zac Taylor says having Trey Hendrickson around makes a major difference — especially for the younger guys 🚀@heykayadams | @Bengals #WhoDey pic.twitter.com/w7TP7vq6yY
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) August 5, 2025
Taylor said the veteran has taken on a mentor role for first-round rookie Shemar Stewart, Joseph Ossai, and Myles Murphy. “I think every tidbit of information he’s able to give them… is good to hear from a player often,” Taylor said.
Still, the contract standoff hasn’t gone anywhere. Dorsey reports guaranteed money is the big sticking point, and there’s been no movement from either side. This standoff has stretched through the offseason, leaving plenty of doubt about what will happen before the games start.
Spears also wonders if the Bengals can win without their top pass rusher. “Joe Burrow and that offense is gonna have to score 45 points a game to win,” he said, pointing to last year’s shootouts as proof that Hendrickson’s pressure is a huge deal for Cincinnati.
Here are all 4 sacks and 6 pressures from Trey Hendrickson from yesterday pic.twitter.com/iWb7OL2dRg
— mike (@bengals_sans) November 4, 2024
For now, Taylor says if they work things out, Hendrickson will be ready to step right in. The coach pointed to Hendrickson’s active participation in meetings and his comfort with the playbook as reasons why a return to action wouldn’t be a problem if the contract gets sorted out.
But with Spears predicting this will be Hendrickson’s last season in Cincinnati, the tension is only growing. The longer this plays out, the more it looks like everything depends on whether the Bengals change their tune on the contract or risk losing their defensive leader to another team in 2026.
