Bengals say everything they have left to say to Trey Hendrickson without saying anything at all
Cincinnati is moving on from one of its best players in recent memory.
Trey Hendrickson is going to become a free agent.
Per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Cincinnati Bengals will not use the franchise tag on Hendrickson before Tuesday’s 4:00 p.m. ET deadline.
Hendrickson has been with the Bengals since signing a free agent contract back in 2021. He played in 79 games (including postseason) with the club, recording 64.5 sacks and earning four Pro Bowls and a First Team All-Pro honor in five total seasons.
Cincinnati originally signed Hendrickson to a four-year, $60 million deal, and gave him a one-year, $21 million extension in 2023. He would go on to receive a raise before playing out that extension in 2025, and earned $29 million last year despite a sports hernia injury costing him most of the season.
The Bengals were considering placing the tag on Hendrickson in hopes of executing a tag-and-trade, and receiving compensation in the form of an NFL Draft pick this year instead of hoping for a compensatory pick to come their way in 2027.
That route is officially dead in the water, and there’s only one way this all ends for both sides.
Bengals officially part ways with Trey Hendrickson after years of drama
Cincinnati will let Hendrickson enter free agency, and he will sign with another team. He’s one of the top free agents set to hit the market, and interested clubs can reach an agreement with him as early as Mar. 9 at 12:00 ET when the tampering window opens.
The reasons why Hendrickson will leave have been relayed to death. The now 31-year old pass rusher has been gunning for a contract with multiple years of guaranteed money for several years, and could never get the Bengals to give in to his demands. The one-year extension he signed in 2023 was considered a compromise for a future multi-year extension that never came.
Hendrickson wanted Cincy to fully commit to him long-term, and the front office never offered him any future guarantees. The Bengals have only offered that kind of deal to Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase in their history. Hendrickson wanted to be part of the club, and was denied at every turn.
He certainly tried his best, requesting trades on multiple occasions and sitting out the entirety of the 2025 offseason before achieving a modest raise for the season. In the end, he played out his deals, and Cincinnati is moving on.
Teams like the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots are expected to be interested in signing Hendrickson, who is not expected to last very long on the open market.