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Trey Hendrickson might finally be able to get the long-term deal he’s been seeking since last offseason after the Cincinnati Bengals decided not to use their franchise tag on the star defensive end.
Hendrickson bid farewell to fans after the NFL deadline Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, which marked the end of teams’ ability to put a franchise tag on players.
“To the organization: thank you for the opportunity to play the game I love at the highest level,” he wrote in his Instagram caption. “The last five years have been filled with great victories and difficult defeats. Personal achievements and humbling adversities.
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Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson raises his finger after a defensive stop with four seconds left in the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field in Denver, Colorado on December 19, 2021. (Albert Cesare/The Enquirer/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“I was and always will be proud to have worn the Cincinnati Bengals logo and honor the history behind it.”
The Bengals have never ruled out the possibility of drafting Hendrickson in an attempt to re-contract him or, at the very least, acquire draft capital by pursuing a trade with another team.
But Duke Tobin, the Bengals’ director of player personnel, said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine that the latter option isn’t as simple as it seems.
“You have to find a partner. You have to cooperate with your players. Trades can be complicated,” Tobin said, according to ESPN.
Hendrickson also would have cost the Bengals $30.2 million if they had awarded him the title this season. So the Bengals and Hendrickson’s complicated contract situation ends and he will begin looking for a new team.
Last offseason was a different story. The Bengals allowed him to see what he could bring in a potential trade, an odd request to put on a player. Hendrickson was the league’s sack leader (17½) in 2024, and he was looking to get paid like the NFL’s sack leader.
Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals takes a defensive stance during a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Paycor Stadium on December 16, 2023, in Cincinnati. (Jeff Dean/Getty Images)
After the Bengals were unable to find a trade partner and negotiations yielded little results, Hendrickson held out through offseason workouts and the start of training camp. But Hendrickson and the Bengals agreed to a $29 million deal through the 2025 season.
But Hendrickson suffered an injury that cost him 10 games, and he was subsequently placed on injured reserve to repair a core muscle injury.
Hendrickson was one of the league’s most productive rushers in Cincinnati, recording 14 sacks in his first Pro Bowl season in 2021 after signing his first four-year contract with the team.
He previously played with the New Orleans Saints, who took him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of FAU. Hendrickson had a huge 2020 campaign with a career-high 13½ sacks, earning him a $60 million contract with the Bengals.
Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals warms up before playing against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 15, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Hendrickson made four consecutive Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2024 thanks to his sack total. He also recorded 36 quarterback hits, 46 combined tackles and 19 tackles for loss.
In his seven games last season, Hendrickson totaled four sacks and 16 combined tackles with one forced fumble.
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