Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals remain in a contract standoff as the former seeks a conclusion on what has been a multi-year quest to get a new deal.
By all accounts, things have gone poorly between the two sides and Hendrickson is in the midst of a holdout. But it appears it isn’t because Hendrickson is looking for a top-of-the-market deal.
Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Hendrickson is not looking to surpass Myles Garrett’s deal, which stands at $40 million per year and remains the highest for edge rushers in the NFL.
“[Hendrickson] would like to get a multi-year deal that gives him security and keeps him in Cincinnati,” Pelissero said. “To this point, the Bengals just have not stepped up with significant enough of an offer for him to take it. But again, [Hendrickson] has not been asking for over Myles Garrett.”
Hendrickson has certainly posted the kind of production to warrant a top-of-the-market deal, or at least something close to that.
Not only did Hendrickson’s 17 sacks lead the NFL last season, but he’s also got the most in the league over the past two seasons with 35.
The last we heard, the Bengals’ offer was somewhere around $28 million per year, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
Such a deal would place Hendrickson eighth among EDGE defenders and one spot behind Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt, who signed his deal back in 2021 and is currently looking for a new one, also.
The way the Bengals have handled this situation has been poor, at best, and that’s perplexing because Hendrickson is incredibly important to the franchise, especially after the team’s defense was the biggest culprit of its letdown 2024 campaign.
As more time passes without a deal, it feels more and more likely that Hendrickson won’t be in a Cincinnati uniform in 2025.
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