There are perhaps only three things that you are guaranteed to witness in this lifetime; Death, taxes, and the Cincinnati Bengals forgetting to pay one of their top stars. Even though the team already spent a collective total of $100 million on retaining its receiving duo of Ja’Mary Chase and Tee Higgins, the front office has yet to come to an agreement with its most prominent pass rusher. Tres Hendrickson.
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The eight-year veteran recently spoke with the press, claiming that the offers he had received prior to the 2025 NFL Draft”…did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason.” In light of Hendrickson’s claims that there are currently no ongoing discussions, the seven-time Sports Emmy Awards nominee, Rich Eisen, seemed to suggest that the four-time pro bowler has every right to demand an increase in pay.
“The guy in his own division, in his own state, who he beat out for the sack race last year, and was in the mix with for Defensive Player of the Year, is going to make damn near three times as much this year alone. $40 million bucks a year in Myles Garrett… That’s the new market… I don’t blame Trey Hendrickson.”
Even though Hendrickson is currently in the midst of his athletic prime at the age of 30, the superstar defensive end is fully prepared to sit out should he not receive the deal that he claims the team promised him last year. Considering the amount of cash that the front office had to cough up just to keep the aforementioned duo of Chase and Higgins around, Hendrickson’s 2025 salary of $15,800,000 is much more convenient for the franchise than it is for him.
Prior to the 2025 NFL Draft, the Bengals’ hefty asking price for Hendrickson reportedly left would-be trade partners “turned off,” according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Suffice to say, the front office is more than aware of his actual worth.
Unfortunately, the Bengals have a longstanding reputation of being stiff when it comes to contract negotiations. Seeing as Cincinnati was one of the last team’s in the league to invest in an indoor practice facility for it’s players, it’s fair to say that Hendrickson is attempting to do the impossible in seeking extra dollars from one of the cheapest teams in the NFL today.
In an ideal world, the Bengals are able to fudge the numbers and come up with a contract that sees their only competent defender earn at least $30 million a year. According to Eisen, that could be feasible so long as Hendrickson isn’t hoping to become one of the highest paid defensive ends in NFL history.
“I don’t know if he’s trying to beat Maxx Crosby.”
However, should Mike Brown and Cincinnati’s front office continue their coin-clipping ways, then a trade seems all but inevitable.
Considering that Hendrickson would offer elite production at a $15.8-million price point for the 2025 season, a contending team could swoop in and grab him, making the Bengals playoffs dreams that much harder to obtain.
