Outstanding defensive ends are critical to a defense’s success, but are also tough to find. The Cincinnati Bengals had one for the past four seasons in Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson signed a one-year extension to his four-year deal at the end of the 2023 season, keeping him in Cincinnati through 2025. He’s expected to earn $15.8 million in 2025. But after his stellar play the past few years, Hendrickson expected the Bengals to negotiate a new deal.
Just What Will Bengals Have To Pay To Keep Trey Hendrickson?
Hendrickson was a third-round pick by the New Orleans Saints. He had a breakout year in 2020, finishing with one forced fumble, 13.5 sacks, and 25 combined tackles.
That performance led the Bengals to take a chance on him in 2021. Since then, he’s only gotten better. Over four seasons in Cincinnati, he’s racked up 11 forced fumbles, 57 sacks, and 155 combined tackles.
Making his case for a new deal, Hendrickson had a monster 2024 season: Six passes deflected — a career high — and 17.5 sacks. That matched his 2023 total, but he led the league in sacks this time.
Hendrickson is a two-time first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler, all during his time with the Bengals.
With those numbers, the $15.8 million he’s due in 2025 looks pretty light. Hendrickson wants to be paid in line with peers who are producing similar numbers.
Take a look around the league. The Cleveland Browns reset the market when they gave Myles Garrett a four-year, $160 million extension — about $40 million per year.
This offseason, Maxx Crosby received a three-year, $106.5 million extension from the Raiders, or around $35.5 million per year.
Even back in 2023, Nick Bosa signed a five-year, $170 million extension with the 49ers, averaging $34 million a year.
Hendrickson clearly has a case. While he may not be demanding Garrett-level money, he probably expects to be paid closer to Bosa’s range than where he’s currently sitting.
He’s right near the top among the league’s elite edge rushers. He even finished second in first-place votes for the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, behind winner Patrick Surtain II.
Are Bengals OK With Just Moving On From Hendrickson?
Hendrickson recently told Adam Schefter he’s frustrated with the Bengals, saying there’s been no communication from the team since the draft. He added that the offers made before the draft didn’t match the vision they’d laid out or the promises from last season.
J.J. Watt chimed in, saying teams always remind players that football is a business — but they don’t like hearing it when the roles are reversed. He suspects the Bengals made promises to Hendrickson and now feels stuck after he has exceeded expectations. With massive contracts already on the books for offensive stars, the Bengals could struggle to fit what Hendrickson is worth.
Of course, the Bengals may have already found Hendrickson’s replacement when they drafted Shemar Stewart out of Texas A&M a few weeks ago. They needed depth regardless, but Stewart could eventually take over if Hendrickson and the team split.
The Bengals struck gold in free agency in 2021, and Hendrickson has done everything to prove he was worth it — both to the team and the rest of the league. Now, the only question is whether Cincinnati will show they value him the same way.