Who won the standoff between Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals?
Probably both.
Hendrickson, a star defensive lineman coming off a 17.5-sack season, sought a big extension from Cincinnati entering the final season of his contract that was due to pay him $15.8 million. After a summer of acrimony involving a hold-in and a trade demand, the two sides agreed to boost Hendrickson’s salary to $30 million, making him one of the highest-paid defenders in 2025.
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Why is Hendrickson a winner?
Well, he got a raise of over $14 million.
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On Monday’s podcast episode of “Inside Coverage,” Yahoo Sports senior NFL reporter Charles Robinson said Hendrickson had two options: Either go for an incentive-laden deal that would be near $40 million in one season or take the guaranteed $30+ million deal. Hendrickson took Door No. 2 and has a shot at free agency to strike another big deal.
“I cannot recall the last time a player would exit a salary and then go into a [franchise] tag situation where they were making less money,” Robinson said.
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And Hendrickson got the pay bump without that much leverage, senior NFL writer Frank Schwab said on the podcast.
Why are the Bengals a winner?
Schwab put the Bengals in that category simply because they got a deal done and didn’t let it drag on through the season, losing a productive player.
Cincinnati doesn’t like to do guaranteed deals beyond one season, so it stuck to its guns there.
The general sentiment of both winners from Robinson: “I think both sides are happily unhappy.”
So who lost in this agreement?
Trey Hendrickson consistently put heat on quarterbacks like Daniel Jones last season. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
(Luke Hales via Getty Images)
Teams that were or should’ve been in the market for Trey Hendrickson
Cleveland Browns
The Browns and Bengals are AFC North rivals, so a trade between these teams was highly unlikely, even with Cleveland having an extra first-round pick in 2026. Still, it was nice to dream of pairing Hendrickson with Myles Garrett on the defensive line.
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Indianapolis Colts
Former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo could use more pass rushing as the Colts’ defensive play-caller. They went edge in the first round of last year’s NFL Draft with Laiatu Latu and the second round of this year’s with JT Tuimoloau.
Carolina Panthers
Hendrickson lining up next to nose tackle Derrick Brown in defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s 3-4 scheme looked like a tempting proposition. Carolina isn’t one player away from contention, though, and trading a premium pick this upcoming draft might make the Panthers hesitant. Two years ago, they traded another future first to move up to select Bryce Young, and the jury is still very much out on that gamble.
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New England Patriots
The most salary cap space in the league. A good defensive line that’s missing a strong edge rush. A team that’s trying to get back into contention sooner than later. A young roster that could use veteran leadership. A head coach with a defensive background. There were plenty of reasons to like the Patriots-Trey Hendrickson fit, and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said the Patriots would be willing to trade away a first- or second-round pick if it was best for the team. That apparently wasn’t enough.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams, like the Browns, have an extra first-round pick this upcoming draft, not to mention a cupboard full of young defensive talent. Hendrickson would have also fit the Rams’ transitional timeline, as they look to get one more good season out of Matthew Stafford before hopefully transitioning to a top quarterback in the 2026 draft. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be for Team “F Them Picks.”
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Detroit Lions
Speaking of teams in contention windows, the Lions reportedly reached out about Myles Garrett after he requested a trade earlier this offseason. So why not Hendrickson too? Pairing Hendrickson with Aidan Hutchinson would have given Detroit arguably the league’s best pass rush and protected against the injury bug that the Lions seemingly can’t shake on that side of the ball. There is a ton of talent there, though, and while parting with a premium 2026 pick is steep — especially for an organization under GM Brad Holmes that drafts well and develops — the pressure is mounting to reach the Super Bowl.