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Trey Hendrickson Unlikely to Return to Bengals?
The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. writes that there's "little reason to believe" that star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson (hip, pelvis) "will willingly return to Cincinnati." It also doesn't make much financial sense for the Bengals to spend the majority of their free-agent budget to force Hendrickson to come back. The 31-year-old, who had back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024, is coming off an injury that required surgery and turns 32 in December. Other factors working against him are the fact that there is a solid draft class and free-agent market at edge rusher. Still, Hendrickson's compensation on the open market this offseason would likely start at or near the $29 million he made in 2026. The Bengals are unlikely to entertain a multi-year deal, so the only way to retain him would be via the franchise tag, which would cost $30.2 million for one year. There is also a tag-and-trade scenario, but the most likely outcome is the Bengals letting Hendrickson walk in free agency.
Source: The Athletic - Paul Dehner Jr.
Source: The Athletic - Paul Dehner Jr.
