Bengals successfully wait out Trey Hendrickson but the end result is an undeniable risk for both sides
Hendrickson gets a pay raise for 2025.
The Cincinnati Bengals and All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson have agreed on a new contract for the 2025 season.
According to multiple reports, Cincinnati and Hendrickson’s camp have agreed on a one-year pay increase of $14 million for this year.
Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported earlier Monday that Cincinnati and Hendrickson’s camp were discussing a raise for the 30-year-old pass rusher for this season, while allowing his current deal to expire at the end of the year.
Hendrickson was under a one-year, $21 million contract, but he’s only set to earn a maximum of $16 million this season. It’s why the four-time Pro Bowler has not practiced with the team for the entirety of the offseason and threatened to miss regular season games.
The deal, now agreed on, will pay Hendrickson $30 million for this season, but as it’s just a pay raise and not an extension, Hendrickson is still set to become a free agent following this season.
For this reason alone, the final major move the Bengals will make this offseason has to be classified as a risk for both sides.
Trey Hendrickson, Bengals are betting on two different things for the future
Hendrickson’s entire point of contention has been lack of guaranteed money coming his way in negotiations. He’s had beef with this particular aspect since realizing he was underpaid back in 2022, and he took it to a new level this offseason.
Radio show appearances, threatening to miss regular season games, the whole nine yards in order to secure a new long-term contract with guarantees beyond the current year.
He just accepted the exact opposite of that.
Hendrickson is now betting on himself, again, after he essentially proved himself to the highest degree last year. If being the in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year and earning All-Pro honors doesn’t land you a deal similar to elite contemporaries, then what will?
Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, and T.J. Watt all agreed to at least three-year deals with tremendous amounts of guaranteed money this year. Micah Parsons is still awaiting his. Even Danielle Hunter got an extra year added on to his deal.
Two of those names are the same age as Hendrickson, but only one 30-year old is set to play without any assurances next year.
Hendrickson’s deal doesn’t even have a no-tag clause included, according to Schultz, and while it’s “expected” for Hendrickson to enter free agency next offseason, not including that in his deal is yet another loss for him.
The franchise tag would only be considered if Hendrickson produces another high-quality season, and by not giving him a single year added on to his deal, the Bengals are essentially betting against that happening.
Cincinnati has been pushing against a long-term agreement with Hendrickson since the start. The first offer was a one-year deal and it spurred Hendrickson to ask permission to seek a trade, in which said permission was granted. When both sides realized that an offer to retrieve Hendrickson along with paying him wasn’t in the cards, more months of on-and-off negotiating ensued, and it all led to this.
The Bengals may feel like big winners here. They absolutely are compared to Hendrickson, but by not locking in Hendrickson beyond this season, they are risking losing their best pass-rusher for 2026. The risk is even greater considering the gap between Hendrickson and his teammates in this respect is massive, and only time will tell if it shrinks this year.
This pay raise means the Bengals believe Hendrickson will be great for the next five months, but not beyond that point in time. It could pay off, but it could also backfire tremendously. Hendrickson hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down yet and he’s now definitely incentivized to keep things going.
It’s an end to the last saga of the offseason, but not a satisfying one by any means.
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