The Cincinnati Bengals are apparently at odds with one of their best players. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson has requested a trade after extension talks stalled.
Hendrickson is set to earn approximately $15 million in total compensation this year and another $16 million in 2025. Evidently, he's looking for more security. Per Bengals beat writer Kelsey Conway, Hendrickson is even considering retirement.Bengals three-time Pro-Bowl DE Trey Hendrickson has requested to be traded from Cincinnati, per league source. Hendrickson is due to make $15 million this season, and is looking for more long-term security than Cincinnati has been willing to offer. pic.twitter.com/PDNKTEiKII
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 24, 2024
Hendrickson signed a one-year, $21 million extension with the Bengals last offseason, so negotiating is becoming a bit of a habit for him. Given his durability and talent level, there's a case to be made that he deserves to be compensated among the top players at his position: He's delivered three straight Pro Bowl seasons and posted a career-high 17.5 sacks in 2023.
The only thing working against Hendrickson is his age: He's set to turn 30 this December. The two years he has remaining on his contract are at fair value, but most teams would be unwilling to commit big money to him in 2026 and beyond. If an extension is absolutely necessary, Danielle Hunter's two-year, $49 million deal with the Houston Texans, signed earlier this offseason, would probably be a fair starting point.
Hendrickson should still have a lot of value to the right team, particularly if he can be pried away with a mid-round pick. Unfortunately for the Bengals, the timing is awful. The NFL Draft begins tonight; if they intend to offset the potential loss of Hendrickson with a pick, they'll have to move quickly.
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