The Cincinnati Bengals took care of two of their most important players this offseason. They signed Ja’Marr Chase to a four-year, $161 million extension, with $112 million in guarantees, while giving Tee Higgins a four-year, $115 million extension, with $40.9 million in guarantees.
They also brought back Mike Gesicki on a three-year, $25.5 million deal that includes $6.5 million in guarantees, ensuring Joe Burrow’s top three receiving threats from last season will return in 2025. Cincinnati has not, however, addressed Trey Hendrickson’s situation as the star pass rusher has shared that he does not plan to take the field without a new contract. The Bengals’ superstar quarterback recently shared his thoughts on the ongoing contract situation.
Joe Burrow Shares His Thoughts On Trey Hendrickson’s Ongoing Holdout
Burrow has often been vocal in his efforts to get the Bengals to pay his teammates and bring them back. He spoke out on Hendrickson’s behalf on Tuesday, claiming that the four-time Pro Bowler deserves to get paid, stating:
“Yeah, we’ll see what happens with that. You guys all know how I feel about Trey. He’s a great player. I love Trey as a guy. He goes out and plays well every single Sunday. He’s very productive. He’s a guy that deserves to get paid and get paid what he wants and what the market is. So, like I said, we’ll see what happens with that, but I love Trey and hope he’s with us.”
"He's a guy that deserves to get paid and get paid what he wants."
Joe Burrow on Trey Hendrickson. pic.twitter.com/wgsPv6094S
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe)
Hendrickson has been a key piece of the Bengals’ pass rush since joining the franchise as a free agent ahead of the 2021 season. He has appeared in 65 games, recording 155 total tackles, 104 solo tackles, 53 tackles for loss, 57.0 sacks, 112 quarterback hits, 11 forced fumbles and 12 passes defended.
Only Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett and Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt have recorded more sacks during that span. Meanwhile, he has earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his four seasons in Cincinnati, establishing himself as one of the league’s premier pass rushers.
Hendrickson earned first-team All-Pro honors and finished as the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up in 2024 after leading the league with 17.5 sacks, marking his second consecutive year recording that amount. Reports recently emerged that the Bengals offered him a contract that would pay him $28 million annually.
However, he turned it down, hoping for a larger payday. It is unclear what figure would motivate him to return to the field. Nonetheless, the former third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft is owed a base salary of $15.8 million this season.