NOVEMBER 8: CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones confirms the price for Hendrickson at the deadline was indeed lowered to a second-round pick. Finances proved to be an issue in this case, however. Jones and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport note suitors were not prepared to take on the remainder of Hendrickson’s $16MM salary for that high of a trade price; Jones adds the Bengals were not willing to retain money to facilitate a deal. Per Rapoport, the top offer Cincinnati received ahead of the deadline was a fourth-round selection.
NOVEMBER 6: Three Trey Hendrickson trade windows opened this year. The Bengals let the then-disgruntled defensive end shop around in March, as the team moved Tee Higgins higher in its priority queue. In August, as bumpy extension talks persisted, Hendrickson trade rumors reappeared. At the deadline, buzz about Cincinnati being more amenable to moving on emerged.
But the Bengals still set a high asking price that, at the time, bordered on unrealistic. A report earlier this week indicated Cincy was still asking for a first-rounder. Hendrickson being in a contract year weeks from his 31st birthday made that a tough ask from the 3-6 team, and unsurprisingly, no takers emerged. As it turns out, however, the All-Pro may have been available for less than that price.
Teams believed on deadline day the Bengals would have moved on for a second-round pick, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. While trade talks with that price as the goal appear a bit more logical at this juncture, Fowler adds the Cowboys — who pursued Hendrickson — still viewed that cost as too steep.
Although Hendrickson notched back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and ’24, he has missed two of the past three games with a hip injury. The ninth-year defensive end does have four sacks and eight QB hits this season. Once again, though, the Bengals’ defense has performed poorly.
Hendrickson has provided an undeniable boost, but his presence has not moved the needle much for a team that has once again seen its defense impede a high-powered offense. Even as Joe Flacco‘s arrival has transformed the Bengals’ offensive capabilities — compared to the short Jake Browning period this season — they have lost back-to-back shootouts.
The Bengals were believed to have wanted more than a first-rounder for Hendrickson back in March. Although the Commanders and Falcons were among the teams connected to him, the Bengals balked. They are believed to have received an offer including a second-rounder and change before the draft; again, the team held on as a standoff — one of Cincy’s two contractual staredowns with a D-end this offseason (the other Shemar Stewart‘s rookie terms) — developed and lasted for most of the summer. It would appear the Bengals, only asking for a second this week, dropped their price from that level as well.
A report about the team dropping its price to a second in the summer did not receive much traction, and Hendrickson eventually received a raise — one that did not add any years to his deal. The 49ers, Eagles and Colts joined the Cowboys in pursuing Hendrickson at the deadline, but he will close out the season in Cincinnati.
Cincinnati has not been known as a particularly willing deadline seller, but it now faces the prospect of losing Hendrickson in free agency. Depending on how the Bengals’ free agency math finalizes, a 2027 compensatory pick could be part of this equation. The Bengals following their A.J. Green path and franchise-tagging a 31-year-old standout would not be out of character, though. Hendrickson said he signed his previous one-year, $21MM extension in fear Cincy would tag him in 2025. The Higgins situation not sorting itself out by then, leading to a second tag for the wide receiver, ultimately would have negated that prospect.
A Hendrickson 2026 tag would cost more than $30MM. Considering the help the Bengals will need on defense next year, devoting that kind of money to a tag would divert valuable resources. Hendrickson’s market will be interesting, as an early-30s standout. He pushed the Bengals for post-Year 1 guarantees — a third-rail topic in Cincinnati for most players — so that will naturally be a goal if he reaches free agency for the first time since 2021.
Cincinnati Bungles
So, tell me how did they bungle anything? Trey is playing this year, isn’t he? His whole shtick was to avoid training camp, which he did. Got a decent raise, and the Bengals can tag him for 34 million and then trade his goofy a** before the draft for more picks to rebuild the defense. How exactly is that a losing proposition? What’s your gripe there Fear the Chub?
Well he is continuing on a team that isn’t winning anything this year. If they attempt to tag and trade him, not only will they get lower offers than they already did now, they will show other players on their team and around the league how they treat players. People won’t want to sign with them.
It’s pretty much an all around lose scenario.
Pile O–If they tag and trade him and don’t get a decent offer then they keep him. If he was some schmuck then they probably would get lower offers. But he’s not Joe Average. Somebody will jump all over a deal to get Hendrickson for 34 million because by next year the average for Watt, Bosa etc will be pushing 45,if not 50 million. In my opinion another team would have to brain dead to come in with a low offer or not to grab him at a lower price. He’ll be tagged and then traded to Dallas. As far as “showing” how they treat their players, teams tag and trade all the time, not sure how you think that’s bad. Their “cheap” reputation hasn’t really kept players like Orlando Brown, Noah Fant, Mike Gesicki etc from signing, or kept Samaji Perrine from coming back
“If they tag and trade him and don’t get a decent offer then they keep him.”
I literally mentioned that scenario in my comment. They will piss him off again and other players won’t want to sign with them. Player team relationships are important and only badly run organizations do that.
Pile I -LOL- Players are interested in money, not wether they like the owners. Who is the last player the Bengals didn’t sign in free agency because they didn’t like Mike Brown? It’s playing with Burrow, Chase, Higgins that draw people here, not their love or hatred of Bengals owners. Hendrickson wasn’t pissed, he didn’t want to go through training camp. He settled for the same money they offered originally, ironically right after training camp wrapped up. I don’t believe for a second a player is going to walk away from more money or the chance to play with Burrow because he’s butt hurt over the Brown family. Not wanting to over pay for something is how people make money. By signing Hendrickson to a one year deal and reserving the right to tag him at 10 million dollars under the going rate for next year they have made sure he will play for them next year, be tagged and traded, or sit out and make absolutely nothing ( which at his age wouldn’t be very smart. Missing out on 35 million because you’re pouting is ludicrous). No offers on the tag and trade, they hold onto him until some other teams number 1 guy gets hurt and that team is willing to over pay for Hendrickson. It’s a win for the Bengals any way you look at it. Thinking a grown man is going to refuse to play for someone is childish. Players are looking to cash in on their talent because the average length of an NFL career is 3 years or less. Played right those years can set you up for life. Money talks and kids games don’t factor into real life.
Hasn’t he been injured?
Now all they get is a compensation pick lol, terrible run franchise
I mean it will be a third rounder so it makes sense to ask nothing less than that.
A 3rd rounder at the end of the round. Could have accepted any 3rd rounder including from the eventual SB champion
Yes, but this way the Bengals have Hendrickson’s services for the rest of this season. Imagine that defense without even Hendrickson. Would drive the fans out of the stadium, to burn their jersies.
The real problem at the deadline was probably the injury issues. Who wants to cough up first round picks for a lage horse?
“Bengals have Hendrickson’s services for the rest of this season”
What good is that on a losing team and a losing season?
Highest offer they got was a 4th as much as I hate my team they made the right move
It can go either way in my eyes. They did realize that a first was unreasonable, and that a trade could be beneficial. But they did so too late to facilitate any real movement. Would the Packers have given a second for a 30 year old top three DE, instead of a pair of firsts for a top three 26 year old? Maybe, maybe not, but they could have been one partner. They’ve had interest in old DEs in the past; of course, those DEs didn’t cost picks, but they also weren’t league leaders in sacks. Other teams could have done it (the Rams are always interested), possibly.
So I give credit to Cincy for realizing their mistake, but it was a bit too late. This way, though, they do have Hendrickson for their (admittedly slim) hopes of competing this year. Burrow being out till after the deadline really complicated their decision making here. This would have been easier if they had signed Hendrickson years ago and avoided the contractual mess, though.
Doesn’t seem like a well run organization, a lot of players want out…..sounds kind of bungled to me
Hendrickson missed 3 of the last 4 weeks with a hip injurie. YIKES. Not too many come back from that. He was good when he was good,but he was unlucky with the signing of his last contract, just by the way the dominos fell in yrenewing contracts. Now you can probably get hendrkson for a combo meal,hamburger fries and a shake.
Too bad the organization can’t Trade away their Owner
Katie Blackburn bears a lot of blame here too, judging by the public comments that she made. Even if Brown had stepped down, it seems like a few people in administration were in favor of this particular tactic.
Everyone know Mike Brown is a major cheap ass. The guy runs the team like it’s 1975. If Katie Blackburn follows in his footsteps I feel sorry for Bengals fans. I think within a couple of years Joe Burrow will be begging to get out. And since he signed a big extension he’s going to need to pull a Carson Palmer.
Yeah, and considering that she is apparently in charge of their contract financials, it could be a sign of things to come. They’ve opened up their wallets a few years back for the offense, and I totally get the fact that the players can be greedy as well, but the way that the cap’s expanding every year, early contracts are going to continue to a better move for the teams going forward for the foreseeable future. The product’s getting worse every year with the changes that the league makes, but the money keeps going up. The teams should adjust their strategies accordingly.
I’ve also dropped my asking price. The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models can now enjoy the pleasure of my company for just a dinner and a movie.