The Cincinnati Bengals have granted star defensive Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade away from the organization, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Hendrickson led the entire NFL in sacks in 2024 and was seeking a contract extension from Cincinnati. He has one year remaining on his current contract.
Allowing Trey Hendrickson to seek a trade is the latest example of Cincinnati's frugality
The fact that the Bengals are allowing Hendrickson to seek a trade probably means that they aren't willing to give him the extension that he's looking for, or thinks is fair. This isn't especially surprising, as the Bengals have a reputation for being one of the cheapest teams in the league, and this appears to be just another example of their frugality.
Hendrickson, though, appreciates the organization for allowing him to finally seek out a trade. If you remember, Hendrickson also requested a trade away from Cincinnati last offseason due to a lack of long-term security, but his request was denied. This time around, things could be differnet.
"It's been an honor and a privilege to represent Cincinnati over the last four years," Hendrickson said. "I love this city and organization. I appreciate the privilege of now being allowed to explore my options."
The fact that the Bengals are allowing Hendrickson to seek a trade doesn't necessarily mean that a deal will come to fruition, but they're clearly open to the possibility. If an intriguing offer emerges, they'll probably pull the trigger.
Just last month, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said that the organization would much prefer to keep Hendrickson in Cincinnati as opposed to trading him.
"I never really talked about open preferences for trading guys, because all that does is take on a life of its own," Tobin said. "And that's not something I want to do, because I want Trey on our football team. He's under contract. We're looking to to pay him for what we believe will be really good future years and we see him as not falling off in his career. And, you know, so that's why we're actively trying [to pay him]."
Clearly, the two sides aren't seeing eye-to-eye when it comes to what an extension for Hendrickson should look like. A recent report suggested that Hendrickson could be the "odd man out" in Cincinnati this offseason, and it's certainly starting to look like that could be the case.
Hendrickson has made it abundantly clear that he would like to remain in Cincinnati, but he also stressed that he ultimately wants what's best for the Bengals as an organization, even if that means they trade him for a valuable return.
“The goal is to win a Super Bowl for Cincinnati. What that looks like this season, if it’s something we can agree on in terms, that would be great,"Hendrickson said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show last month. "Ideally, my wife and I would love to stay in Cincinnati. If it’s something that helps the Bengals win a Super Bowl if they get picks or anything like that. I want to help win a Super Bowl for Cincinnati if I’m there or not.”
So, have we seen the last of Hendrickson in a Bengals uniform? Only time will tell, but it certainly seems like a distinct possibility.