It appears a resolution to the long-running Trey Hendrickson saga could be on the horizon, as NFL Media reported that the Cincinnati Bengals are listening to trade offers on the NFL’s reigning sack leader.
TheMMQB notes that there hasn’t been a ton of movement on a potential Hendrickson trade just yet, as the team would still like to keep him in the fold. Albert Breer reports that the offer the Bengals have on the table is massive in average per year, but lacks the guarantees Hendrickson is after. Hendrickson confirmed as much to ESPN during Monday night’s Bengals-Commanders preseason game. He and the team are “close” to an agreement on average annual salary and the length of the deal but the guarantees indeed remain a point of contention.
What would it cost to trade for the 30-year-old pass rusher? The Athletic reports that teams that reached out to Cincinnati asking about Hendrickson have been told that the asking price includes a “young defensive player” and a 2026 first-round pick. The young defensive player does not necessarily have to be a defensive end. There’s a belief the Bengals could have acquired a better draft pick if they decided to move Hendrickson earlier in the offseason. Now, it’s more complicated.
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This is a pretty steep price when you consider that Week 1 of the regular season is just three weeks away, and that the team that trades for Hendrickson will also have to give him a new contract he would be happy with. The pass-rush market has been reset multiple times this offseason, so what is the AAV Hendrickson would settle for, and what kind of guarantees is he looking for?
For reference, Hendrickson is set to earn $16 million in cash this upcoming season.
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Hendrickson recorded 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons. He requested a trade in March before eventually no-showing at training camp. Just over a week later, Hendrickson reported to camp, but has not practiced with his teammates. The fact that the Bengals are now reportedly open to trading Hendrickson is notable, as team owner Mike Brown said during his pre-training camp interview Cincinnati would not be moving him.
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When CBS Sports’ John Breech asked Hendrickson last week whether he felt more or less optimistic about getting a new contract done after being in training camp for two weeks, he responded, “I’m going to keep my thoughts to myself on that.”
Hendrickson came over to the Bengals in 2021 after four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, and has made the Pro Bowl in each season with Cincinnati. He was named a First Team All-Pro for the first time this past season.