For months, Trey Hendrickson sought a true extension that would provide guarantees beyond Year 1. Excluding Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, such contracts are not part of the Bengals’ blueprint. The team ended up not budging on that stance, but a compromise emerged late to bring its top defender back into the fold.
Cincinnati agreed to a one-year bump with Hendrickson, who secured a $14MM raise for 2025. The deal also includes a $1MM incentive that could bump the standout defensive end’s earnings to $30MM this year. If Hendrickson plays 60% of the Bengals’ defensive snaps and the team books a playoff berth, that $1MM bump would trigger, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Hendrickson, 30, logged 73% defensive snap share in 2024 and 68% of the team’s plays in 2023. The contract also includes a void year, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates, who adds Hendrickson’s cap number increased by $3MM. The ninth-year veteran now counts $21.67MM on the Bengals’ cap sheet. Not known for much void year-related cap manipulation, the Bengals would be tagged with a $10MM dead money hit if they do not re-sign Hendrickson before the 2026 league year.
The Bengals held firm on not offering a post-Year 1 guarantee to Hendrickson. Cincy is one of the few teams that as a rule avoids this contract structure; its pricey Tee Higgins extension did not stray from it, even while the Chase deal did. Hendrickson is believed to have turned down a three-year, $95MM extension that did not include guarantees beyond Year 1. This proposal was backloaded, with The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. indicating Hendrickson was due $23MM in 2026 and $39MM in 2027
As for Hendrickson’s current deal, the NFL’s reigning sack leader said (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby) the team did not communicate an aim at a 2025 raise until the eve of training camp. Hendrickson added he did not receive the offer he eventually agreed to was not previously offered during the lengthy negotiation. Although Hendrickson said he was “incredibly humbled” by the team’s raise, turning down the above-referenced extension offer sets up an interesting next chapter in this long-running saga.
While the Bengals have some younger defensive ends they will hope can show long-term potential (in Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy, the latter not justifying his first-round slot yet), they could circle back to Hendrickson via a 2026 franchise tag. It would be a costly tag, at approximately $34.8MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. No team has ever tagged a non-quarterback at that rate, but if Hendrickson delivers another big year, it would certainly be a conversation — even in a potential tag-and-trade scenario. Dehner points to this relationship ending with a 2026 free agency departure, which could lead to a third-round 2027 compensatory pick.
The Bengals certainly made a good bet on Hendrickson back in 2021, when the late-blooming Saints draftee agreed to a four-year, $60MM deal. Far outplaying that contract, Hendrickson — after a one-year, $21MM extension in 2023 — failed in convincing the Bengals to break their non-superstar precedent for future guarantees. The All-Pro pass rusher will attempt to remain in top form ahead of his 31st birthday en route to a high-end deal in 2026.
He’s still under $10m per the top 5 players. He should have demanded the trade.
There is a reason why the Bengals will never win a Super Bowl…….they won’t give any of their players guaranteed contracts. Also makes it hard for them to sign any really good free agents when they won’t give them a multi year guarantee. Glad I’m not a Bengals fan!!!
Did you read the article, and assuming it is correct, there are guaranteed multi year contracts for Burrows, Chase and Higgins….the Bengals offered a very rich contract with only the 1st year guaranteed and he turned it down….so a player who is receiving top dollar at his position has to play to earn his money beyond what is guaranteed….what a crazy concept….glad you don’t run my company;…
Rocky7- Nobody reads beyond the headlines, or reads any other articles on whatever subject they are pissed off about.That’s why people always argue with me.
The second year was a non-guaranteed $23M. If he had a great year he would be underpaid and if he was terrible/injured he’d have to sit thru FA waiting to get cut and never see any of the money anyway. Now he either gets tagged for $35Mish or goes to FA and the end of the season.
So weird that they took this long with the contract. CIN was probably cutting him after this year anyways since they were backloading his contract (wonder if they would have tried to trade him instead as a piece for some 3rd round draft picks).
What guaranteed contacts have been good for teams? Name one?
All first round contracts are guaranteed. Are you saying they’ve all been bad?
I don’t know if there’s a rule written in stone that 1st round contracts have to be guaranteed. But yeah, there are plenty of 1st round busts every year. Generally speaking, that money isn’t a salary cap breaker like Deshaun Watson’s was.
It’s in the CBA that they are guaranteed, you can use a search engine to actually look stuff up.
If you’re only going to guarantee the first year then you don’t backload the contract. Bengals are an embarrassment.
That wasn’t a three year deal the Bengals offered him. It was a one-year deal at a bargain price, followed by a team option for a second one-year deal at a bargain price, followed by the team cutting Hendrickson before the 2027 season because they weren’t going to pay that backloaded amount no matter how well he played.
Hendrickson was better off with the one-year deal for 30mil. If the team franchises him in 2026, he’ll make more than he would’ve on the second year of the Bengal’s “three-year deal.” And then he’s a free agent, and whatever he makes as a free agent will still be better than the zero dollars the Bengals would’ve paid him in 2027, because they weren’t going to honor Year 3 of their contract nor pay the escalating franchise tag cost.
So, Hendrickson got what he wanted AND the Bengals got what they wanted. Hendrickson got a raise to 30 million this year and they can tag him the next 2 years for around 40 million next year and if he’s still a great player they can tag him again the next for around 45 or so. Great deal for everyone. Now, he needs to shut his mouth and produce.
Funny how angry you are at players who want fair compensation based on what the NFL earns.
I just don’t appreciate someone who cries because they are multi- millionaires and cry because they feel shortchanged. If they don’t want to play for what is offered then retire and use that college degree. It doesn’t matter how much the NFL makes, or how much the teams make. What they do is not essential to anyone. The NFL could disappear tomorrow and life would go on. Not mad, it’s just ridiculous and he’s been running his mouth,so get out there and do your job.
You do realize that this is all part of the “game”? There is a reason the NFL is now a year-round, multi-billion-dollar concern. The drama keeps fans engaged throughout the lull between the Super Bowl and Opening Weekend.
Trey Hendricksen, or anyone else, holding out hurts no one. Not the player, not the team, not the community, not the fanbase. It is drama for the sake of drama that keeps people engaged with the product. The NFL loves it.
That’s not true. They hurt Man Who Whines About Football’s feelings!!!!