The monthslong (perhaps yearslong) Trey Hendrickson contract saga in Cincinnati has reached a conclusion — for 2025, at least. With less than two weeks remaining before the Bengals’ opener, a deal is in place.
Hendrickson and the Bengals are in agreement on a revised contract, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. After Rapoport and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero indicated the sides were close, it appears this endless chapter is complete. The sides agreed on what will be a $14MM 2025 raise, Pelissero reports, adding the ninth-year veteran will make $30MM this year.
While this is a short-term win for Hendrickson, the Bengals’ preference for a one-year guarantee — reminding of a previous Hendrickson re-up — appears to have won out. This is certainly good news for the Bengals, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes Hendrickson is expected to play in Week 1.
Earlier today, a report surfaced indicating the Bengals and Hendrickson had resumed talks. The Bengals had long been willing to give Hendrickson a high AAV on a short-term agreement, but the 30-year-old pass rusher had understandably sought a guarantee package that provides better long-term security. But that has not happened. And Hendrickson remains on track for free agency in 2026.
Hendrickson was already tied to a $15.8MM 2025 base salary this year. That had been in place as part of a one-year extension agreed to in 2023. Hendrickson said he agreed to that extension in fear of being franchise-tagged in 2025. With the Bengals’ Tee Higgins matter taking two offseasons to resolve, no tag was available. And Hendrickson, despite seeing T.J. Watt land a $108MM full guarantee on a three-year deal, appears to be prepared to hit free agency in 2026. Even as the Bengals observed the Steelers break their guarantee structure for Watt, the Bengals did not budge on a key organizational philosophy with Hendrickson.
The Bengals have bent on their steadfast refusal to include post-Year 1 salary guarantees in deals, but it has taken a young Hall of Fame-type talent to convince them to do so. Joe Burrow naturally received post-Year 1 guarantees upon being extended in 2023, and Ja’Marr Chase‘s triple-crown season prompted the Bengals to break their policy this offseason. Higgins, however, did not. With the Bengals not bending for a younger talent like Higgins, the team did not appear ready to give Hendrickson that type of agreement. Hendrickson’s importance to Cincinnati’s defense — one that took a significant step back last year — did not end up leading to an extension for the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, and this could be the parties’ final season together.
Hendrickson did receive an extension offer — three years, $95MM — according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, but he turned it down due to no guaranteed money being present beyond Year 1. Hendrickson turned down what may have been a comparable offer several weeks ago.
This familiar Bengals issue is now a key part of the decorated edge rusher’s career. Rather than take his chances with a nonguaranteed structure down the line, Hendrickson will see if he can reach free agency after another strong season. This top-up does not match where the Texans went with Danielle Hunter (one year, $35.6MM), which certainly points to this saga either concluding with a 2026 free agency exit or potentially taking another turn.
Cincy could cuff Hendrickson via a 2026 franchise tag. Teams usually reserve the tag for players who play out their rookie deals, as the Bengals did with Higgins and Jessie Bates recently, but this franchise also cuffed a veteran performer not too long ago. The Bengals tagged A.J. Green in 2020. If they were to go to this well with Hendrickson, however, this raise will hike that price beyond $35MM. As could be expected, veteran reporter Jordan Schultz adds a no-tag clause is not present in this rework.
Over the past two seasons, Hendrickson leads the NFL with 35 sacks — 4.5 more than anyone else. This naturally brought Hendrickson back to the table, after the Bengals did not redo his deal in 2024. The team let Hendrickson seek a trade, and while better guarantee structures were undoubtedly available elsewhere, Cincy held a high asking price that prevented a deal. The Bengals wanted at least a first-round pick before the draft, and their recent ask — even after a reported reduction –was believed to be too high for teams as well.
The second leg of trade rumors came after a report indicating contract talks had stalled. We heard earlier this summer Cincy had not offered a $35MM-per-year deal, but an August report indicated the proposal was “closer to the top of the market.” At 3/95, Hendrickson would have been the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid EDGE by AAV. While there are more notable barometers to measure contract value, the Bengals’ guarantee caution would not have made that a player-friendly pact.
Even as the Bengals struggled defensively, leaving a Burrow MVP-caliber season short of the playoffs, Hendrickson could not turn a holdout or a hold-in into a multiyear guarantee. With Hendrickson agreeing to terms rather than missing out on near-$1MM game checks, the matter is resolved for now.
This will remain an interesting story to follow, as Hendrickson free agency- and/or tag-related rumors figure to follow this agreement soon. But the Bengals, after their lengthy Shemar Stewart impasse over default language ended, will have both their top DEs available to start the season.
It was never this darn hard, Cincy.
In times past you could just flip a coin to determine who gets what they want but in this era several months of posturing and dancing around are mandatory.
This is what Cincy has wanted all along.
t was the player who made it hard with his demand for guaranteed top dollar for a 3 year deal….
Well a stylish ending
This is why the Bengals are making the Ring of Honor players pay for their airline tickets and hotel rooms.
They offered him 3 years for 95 million and because the 3rd year was not guaranteed. He said no. This could have ended 3 weeks ago and he refused. Maybe Trey and his agent made it hard? It’s not always the owner F up.
It’s always the Bengals owner F up though.
Mike Brown Is terrible sure.
In this case it’s not all in the owner. If you follow the team you know he already agreed to an extension 2 years ago and lowballed himself. He at worst got the same offer that Higgins did. Same issue with the guaranteed money.
The reports are that only the first year of that 3 year offer was guaranteed. He now basically ends up with the same 1 year guaranteed deal without the Bengals having 2 option years.
I keep seeing the Bengal NON suck up writers to the ownership saying it’s at least 2 years guaranteed.
They really don’t value him because of his run defense and age. To not fall of a cliff.
Nothing past the first year was guaranteed. Have you not been paying attention or something?
No I haven’t. My mental capacity has been steadily going downhill since I started following this team since 1973.
You don’t have to. There are books, other teams…
Where have you seen the 2 years guaranteed? I haven’t seen any reputable sources report that.
I was looking for Joel Godberry info. At this point of course I could be wrong. And I apologize for not reading it clearly.
Agents are what ruins the sport. Apparently Parsons and Jones had a deal in place and the Agent for Parsons said no. Really? The man himself worked out a deal and the agent turns it down? I still think Mike Brown and Hendrickson should have sat down weeks ago and had a talk man to man. Everybody on here was laughing and saying things aren’t done that way anymore. They are where I’m from and I’ve always tried to hold up my end of the deal. Ha, ha, a man’s word doesn’t mean anything, ha ha, that’s old fashioned thinking. Doing what you said you were going to do is ignorant? How can being trustworthy be a detriment? And enter the agents. How do we know what was being conveyed to Trey? Was it what was actually said? I’m glad he’s going to stay, but what did he achieve? Exactly what the Bengals wanted. One year at 30+ million. Personally I think he didn’t want to go to training camp and used all the crying and moaning to achieve his goal. Now, why haven’t we heard any Risner contact yet?
I got to tell you, I am baffled by this post. Agents work for players, the talent and the guys who ARE NOT BILLIONAIRES.
Siding with Billionaires is crazy. Hendrickson is worth more than his current contract and if he was not performing at that level, the owners would dump his backside ASAP.
Begging to Billionaires is foolish and frankly insane for someone who is not even in their tax bracket and never will be. NFL Players are not in Billionaires tax brackets either. They are closer to us than the owners.
Sorry. Always side with the players ALWAYS and against Billionaires, ya know the guys who are about to take away your health care, destroy your environment and ruin the economy to MAKE MORE MONEY that they DONT NEED. Meanwhile, kids dont get free lunches and people are not able to pay their medical bills, but thank god Brown saved a few million.
I just do not understand the mentality of not backing Unions, the workers and the guys who actually perform the labor to kiss the backside of a rich guy who would not care about you, the team or anyone else.
Corporations file bankruptcy at a whim, but you better hold to that deal. Its archaic and the rich are counting on your “ethics” because Brown HAS NONE.
Sorry brother, I am sure you are a great guy and work hard, but please start seeing the world for what it truly is…a few rich A holes exploiting the rest of us.
I hope Parsons destroys Jerry the old White Man Oil money guy and the Cowboys suck until he dies. I hope the Bengals are terrible as well. Brown needs to learn that without players and agents this league stops.
Always back the player, ALWAYS.
Race baiting? Check. Anti capitalist? Check. Partisan politics? Check.
Yet another clown who is clueless what a salary cap is. Didn’t use the word billionairre enough either.
@CF, you have to bring race into the conversation? “Old white guy”? And by the way, you are only worth what someone is willing to pay you, not a penny more.
What people fail to realize is that these players don’t have to play football for a living. They either have a degree or are close to having one after playing football in college for 3-4 years ( up to 6 for COVID players). They are not forced to play football, it is a choice. They are not rescuing people from burning buildings, operating on sick people or defending the public from people who are out to harm them. They are playing a game, nobody dies if they drop a pass or miss a tackle. In other words, in the scheme of things they don’t matter much. For a multi-millionare to cry about “Only getting 40 million a year” is ridiculous to me. You’re not essential to life as we know it, you’re not contributing anything to society, yet you’re crying about making millions of dollars. Well, if you don’t want to play there are plenty of jobs waiting for you out in the real world. Sounds like you’re bigoted against old white men with money. How about old Black or Asian men with money? Or is it people who have money in general? I have always said that if professional sports disappeared tomorrow we would miss it but life would go on and the sun would come up just like always because we don’t need sports to live our lives. Yeah, they risk bodily harm, but it’s a conscious decision. As for unions. I have been in there. One sold out their members because the company told them when temporary workers (six months on then six months off) were laid off for six months they would be required to continue paying union dues when they were laid off. Double dues for the same job. Union was all for that. So I would have to say unions aren’t what they used to be. We all have different opinions and that’s what makes the world go around.
Rewarding a holdout a 1 year massive pay bump is just going to cause more holdouts.
Good. Billionaires have plenty of money. The smart ones pay their players.
Counterpoint: Rewarding your best players with a pay bump is going to cause less holdouts.
And you really think that there aren’t half a dozen players on the Cincy roster who think they are the best and deserve a pay bump too…..
All for 6 sacks.
Stop it. Bri has been one of the most consistent edge rushers. He’s not top 5 but damn close. And he plays gloveless, with taped up fingers, which is freaking cool.
And…he’s been paid handsomely with a contract that was in line at the time….now suddenly it isn’t……he had a contract for this season remember…..do you really consider him a “difference maker” and carries the defense?
“Over the past two seasons, Hendrickson leads the NFL with 35 sacks — 4.5 more than anyone else.”
Yep. That’s a difference maker that carries a defense.