NFL Trade Rumors: Cincinnati Bengals Looking to Extend Trey Hendrickson

The Cincinnati Bengals are no longer afraid to spend money. Speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Zac Taylor was effusive in his praise of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and insisted the Bengals would continue to work through the contract process with the four-time Pro Bowler.

Zac Taylor calls Trey Hendrickson a premier pass rusher in the NFL and that the Bengals are still working through the contract process pic.twitter.com/PI6D3IrpM4
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) March 31, 2025

The Bengals gave Hendrickson permission to seek a trade earlier this month after contract negotiations stalled. Teams were reportedly willing to meet Hendrickson's needs on an extension but found the Bengals' trade demands "ridiculous." Now, it appears the Bengals may be willing to match the sort of deals Hendrickson was finding on the open market.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow previously pressured the Bengals to pay his teammates, and it appears he may get his wish. Star wide receivers JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins have already landed record-breaking new contracts, and Hendrickson could be next. All told, the Bengals have already committed to over $100 million in guaranteed money since the beginning of March.

Though Hendrickson may not have the name recognition of the league's most famous pass rushers, he isn't far behind in production. Since 2020, Hendrickson has notched an amazing 70.5 sacks, third-most in the league behind only Cleveland Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett (72.0) and Pittsburgh Steelers superstar T.J. Watt (73.5).

Garrett recently agreed to a monster four-year, $160 million extension, so the price of elite edge rushers is higher than ever. That contract is likely out of reach for Hendrickson, but he could very well exceed $30 million per year on his next deal and even flirt with total compensation in the neighborhood of the three-year, $106.5 million pact Maxx Crosby recently signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Bengals are in a precarious spot. Ultimately, they must recognize that the team they've fielded over the past two years isn't good enough. They've missed the playoffs for consecutive seasons, and massive extensions for their existing stars will make it all the more difficult to build out the rest of their roster.

If the Bengals aren't willing to do something drastic to reshuffle their team, they'll have a hard time becoming a contender again. Their defense, in particular, has been helpless, even with Hendrickson contributing All-Pro calibre play. They finished 31st in yards allowed in 2022 and 25th in 2023. If Hendrickson, who is 30 years old, regresses at all while on a significantly more expensive contract, the Bengals will have to absolutely nail upcoming drafts just to return to respectability.