The Cincinnati Bengals were the major disappointment of 2024, finishing 9-8 and missing the playoffs. While their offense was impressive, with Joe Burrow becoming the only third player in league history to throw 40+ touchdowns for a non-playoff team, the Bengals’ defense left much to be desired.
The only bright spot for Cincinnati was defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. But as surprising as it may sound, the Bengals aren’t willing to pay him what he wants and have granted him permission to seek a trade this offseason.
Cincinnati Bengals Asking Price for Trey Hendrickson
The Bengals’ defense was downright awful last year, finishing 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 and posted 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.
He deservedly wanted a new contract, given that the Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby, who had 10 fewer sacks than Hendrickson in 2024, just signed a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension. However, the Bengals aren’t willing to pay the 30-year-old a similar amount of money and have granted him permission to seek a trade.
Cincinnati recently placed the franchise tag on Tee Higgins and is looking at a $40 million-a-year contract for Ja’Marr Chase, so seeking a trade for Hendrickson makes sense to free some cap space. But what are they asking in return for the first-team All-Pro edge rusher?
“Probably a conservative estimate, a fair estimate, is if the Bengals can get a high 3 (third-round pick), they’d love a low 2, but at the end of the day, if they are going to trade Hendrickson, it’s probably going to be in the neighborhood of a high 3,” Jonathan Jones of CBS news said
According to @jjones9, the likely compensation that the Bengals are looking to receive for DE Trey Hendrickson is a high 3rd round pick.
(via @CBSSports) pic.twitter.com/72ZcRc4g8W
— Chicago Bears Updates (@chbearsupdates) March 7, 2025
The Bengals will also save $16 million in cap space, which they can use to extend Higgins and Chase’s contracts. It can also allow them to reinforce their defense through free agency, while a high third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is sufficient for them to land an elite defender.
Cincinnati is predicted to use its overall No.17 pick on Marshall edge rusher Mike Green in the PFSN’s latest three-round mock draft by Reese Decker while adding safety Xavier Watts in the second round, and while it’ll be hard to find a replacement for Hendrickson, both these prospects can strengthen their derailed defense instantly.
Decker wrote, “The Bengals need to revamp their entire defensive unit, and Xavier Watts, who is familiar with new defensive coordinator Al Golden, fits the bill perfectly.
“A CFSN All-American, Watts is a 6’0″, 203-pound safety known for creating turnovers. He led the nation in interceptions in 2023 and followed up with six interceptions and a forced fumble in 2024. A pure playmaker, Watts can help restore Cincinnati’s defensive pride.”
“Mike Green is a dynamic pass rusher who dominated at the Senior Bowl. He’s quick off the ball, plays with excellent contact strength and leverage, and has a strong shock and shed move.
“At Marshall, Green was a force, and he could add significant value to a defensive line that already features the league’s sack leader in 2024. While some concern has arisen over his arm length (32 1/4 inches at the Senior Bowl), Green’s film speaks for itself. If the character checks out, he’s a no-brainer pick.”