Trey Hendrickson’s been through this song and dance before. Puts up monster numbers, gets the Pro Bowl nod, leads the league in sacks—and then waits. And waits. This offseason, the silence got loud. No calls, no movement, nothing from the Bengals about a new deal. So eventually, Trey did what most people do when they’re tired of being ghosted: he aired it out in public.
That’s when things got weird. Katie Blackburn, the Bengals exec who handles contracts, basically said he should just be happy with what he’s got. Not exactly the warm-and-fuzzy reassurance Trey was hoping for. He clapped back, said communication’s been “poor over the last couple of months”, and you could tell he was over it. After years of elite production, he’s left wondering if the team sees him the way he sees himself—as someone worth locking down.
Fast forward to now, and things are getting… well, messier. The veteran defensive end hasn’t gotten a contract extension yet, that’ the first thing. Second, he’s still in Cincy, and that means only one thing: either the Bengals don’t want to trade him, or they failed to find a suitable match for him. Either way, Hendrickson has been stuck in Cincy. That’s where Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network comes in.
Recently, Rapoport stopped by the Pat McAfee Show, where he shed light on how the Bengals might not trade Hendrickson, and he believes that the DE will soon get a contract extension. First, let’s dive into why the Bengals won’t trade him. “I would be surprised as of right now if he got traded, mainly because like, let’s say, you’re like the Bengals held out for a premium draft pick. We’re talking like first-rounder, right, which for someone as talented as Trey Hendrickson, that would make a lot of sense,” Rapoport explained. Translation?
“I would be surprised if Trey Hendrickson got traded..
I still believe that the Bengals are gonna pay him”@RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/b2vtJMLbFv
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 23, 2025
Well, Cincy’s Sack King is damn expensive. If the Bengals want to trade him, they’re surely looking for a first-rounder in exchange. And given that the 2025 NFL draft is over, trading him for a first-rounder just doesn’t make any sense. Why? Imagine if Cincy traded Hendrickson and they did get a first-rounder, then what? They can’t use it till next year. Plus, there won’t be a Sack King on your D-line as well. Diabolical.
And that’s not the sole reason behind this no-trade situation. In fact, Rapoport believes that the main “problem is value-wise.” Meaning? “Value-wise, not every team wants to give a first-rounder and then a huge new contract to someone who’s 30 years old, just philosophically,” Rapoport added. Rings a bell? The former Patriots‘ head coach, Bill Belichick’s strategy, simply echoes through Rapoport’s words.
“I remember when Bill Belichick was coaching the Patriots… I don’t think he ever traded for a player and then gave him a new contract,” he noted. True. Belichick was surely renowned for his strategic trades and contracts. And there were some instances, documenting that he didn’t trade a first-rounder just to hand over a massive contract to a 30-year-old guy.
Back in 2017, Belichick and Co. traded their first-round pick to acquire WR Brandin Cooks. But did he get a massive contract? Absolutely not. In fact, right after spending one season in New England, they traded him to the Rams. And it’s just one instance in Belichick’s playbook. So, long story short: the Bengals are least expected to trade Trey Hendrickson this year, for all the reasons out there—at least that’s what Ian Rapoport believes.
That means the 30-year-old DE is currently stuck. The other teams are less likely to trade for him. Plus, the Bengals are kind of ghosting him. However, Rapoport has a different take on this Bengals-Hendrickson contract saga. D-line edition.
Cincy might enhance Trey Hendrickson’s contract
There was a time in this off-season when a few folks out there dubbed the Cincinnati Bengals as the Cheap’innati Bengals. Why? Because they’re shying away from losing their purse. But Cincy wasn’t sweating it. The NFL world knew that the Bengals had to tackle not just one, not just two, but three big contract extensions. Joe Burrow made it clear that he wants three of his guys in his arsenal.
We’re talking about wide receivers, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and the defensive end, Trey Hendrickson. The Bengals dropped a bombshell when they signed Chase on a four-year, $161 million contract extension and Higgins on a four-year, $115 million contract extension. But Hendrickson? Well, he’s still waiting. Scratch it. He isn’t just waiting. He’s stuck in a loop of contract talks with no actual contract.
So, considering the trade is pretty much off the table and the Bengals might not want to shake up their roster ahead of the 2025 season, it’s likely that Hendrickson will soon get a contract extension. Yes, after all the feud in the past few months. “I still believe the Bengals are gonna pay him,” Rapoport noted while appearing on the Pat McAfee Show.
“…I still think he is a huge part of the organization. They want him to stay, and I believe they will pay him.” Considering the edge rushers like Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby have already inked some gigantic contract extensions, Hendrickson’s next paycheck is certainly going to be a massive one. With the Bengals? We’ll see.
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