Tag deadline day in the NFL came and went on Tuesday without much action. The Jets placed the franchise tag on running back Breece Hall, and the Colts used the transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones. Hall and Jones are rounding out a small 2026 class of tagged players that also includes Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens and Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts.
As PFR’s Sam Robinson wrote in an extensive rundown of tag candidates, Trey Hendrickson, Alec Pierce, Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne, Odafe Oweh and Jaelan Phillips represented other possibilities. All of their teams passed before the clock ran out at 3 p.m. CT. Each of them will be free to talk to other teams when the legal tampering window opens March 9.
The Bengals “never seriously considered” tagging Hendrickson, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Had they done so and Hendrickson signed the tender, it would have cost $30.2MM against the Bengals’ cap next season. The four-time Pro Bowl defensive end should encounter a “strong market,” per Russini.
For his part, Hendrickson appears to already have one foot out the door. The 31-year-old took to Instagram on Tuesday to post what looks like a goodbye message to the Bengals and their fans.
“To the organization: Thank you for the opportunity to play the game I love at the highest level,” Hendrickson wrote. “The last five years have been filled with great wins and tough losses. Personal achievements and humbling adversities.”
If this is it for Hendrickson in Cincinnati, it will wrap up an enormously productive half-decade in Cincinnati. Hendrickson spent the first four seasons of his career with the Saints before accepting the Bengals’ four-year, $60MM offer in March 2021. He relocated on the heels of what was then a career-high 13.5-sack season, but Hendrickson went on to top that number three times with the Bengals.
During his first year in Cincinnati, Hendrickson piled up 14 sacks in 16 games. The Bengals advanced to the Super Bowl for the third time in franchise history, but they lost a 23-20 nail-biter to the Rams. Hendrickson’s sack total fell to eight in 2022, though he still made his second straight Pro Bowl. The Bengals were once again among the last teams standing. However, since ending that season with a loss to the Chiefs in the AFC title game, they have not returned to the playoffs.
Heading into 2023, the Bengals awarded Hendrickson a one-year, $21MM extension to keep him in the fold through 2025. Even though Hendrickson went off for 17.5 sacks twice in a row from 2023-24, the Bengals could only muster back-to-back nine-win seasons. Hendrickson and the Bengals then engaged in a contentious contract standoff last year. Then seeking a long-term pact, Hendrickson reportedly turned down a three-year, $95MM offer. The Bengals’ rejected proposal did not include any guaranteed money after the first year of the deal.
After a drawn-out fight, the Bengals and Hendrickson finally shook hands on a revised contract in late August. Hendrickson had been in line to earn $16MM, but Cincinnati upped it to $30MM. In hindsight, it was not money well spent for the Bengals. Injuries wound up holding Hendrickson and quarterback Joe Burrow out of a combined 19 games. Their absences proved far too much to overcome during a six-win year for the club.
In what will likely end up as his final year in Cincinnati, Hendrickson played in seven games and totaled four sacks. He did not take the field past Oct. 26, but the Bengals had chances to trade him before the Nov. 4 deadline. Although the Bengals dropped their asking price from a first- to a second-rounder, they kept Hendrickson after nobody offered better than a fourth. Hendrickson, then dealing with a nagging hip issue, underwent core muscle surgery in early December. With no tag weighing him down, he can now turn his full attention to free agency.
This is what inept franchises do
So many chances to trade him even if you got a lesser deal something’s better than nothing
Precisely. I’m glad they didn’t tag him. He’s about to go nuts on defense for some other team. I’m curious where he’ll end up.
@dropped. Must’ve been offered a 4th rounder. He should give them a third round comp pick. If they passed on a third or 2nd guaranteed they truly crapped the bed.
Then trade him last year. I agree w/ Dropped. Bengals are inept and haven’t a clue on how to run a team. Browns, Jets, Cards, Miami, NOLA etc. Plenty of horribly run teams; parity my backside.
Yup. I’m a Browns fan so I typically have no room to talk about other teams, but the Bengals are an absolute dumpster fire. They lowball their best players and push them out the door because Mike Brown cares more about pinching pennies and selling TVs than the fanbase or winning. They could have extended Hendrickson for well below what the edge rusher market is currently at but they chose to piss him off instead.
Burrow is a top five quarterback and Chase is arguably the best receiver in the world, but they’ll never win anything if they don’t stop building their roster like a ten year old playing Madden.
The Browns are a dumpster fire for many other reasons, but at least they’re willing to spend money.
As a football fan and reader of this site, I’m so glad this player and this franchise are finally breaking up. I hope he can play at a high level for a serious team.
Yea this divorce was a long time coming, armed with a lot of cap space I would love to see him in Tennessee under Saleh
He’s going to a reunion with Lou in Indianapolis. I can hear Lou playing his Peaches and Herb song,” Reunited and it feels so good.” Hendrickson showed last year he’s past his prime. He didn’t work out or do conditioning when he sat out training camp and it showed. Since he was already under contract he could have tutored Murphy and Stewart, but no, he just watched. I wouldn’t be so critical, but he signed for the same money he was offered in the beginning, so did he just want to skip training camp? I blame is ignorant agent. An old school guy like Paul Brown doesn’t take kindly to being shown up. The guy is 90, so he’s not going to change. All this could have been avoided by Hendrickson putting on his big girl panties and having a conversation with Mike Brown, but he listened to his agent. Hopefully they Bengals will sign Joey Bosa and Hendrickson can go play on the 6-11 Colts this year while the Bengals get back to the SB.
The phrase “legal tampering” makes as much sense as saying “legal crime.” Communications that are legal are by definition not tampering. /rant