The Cincinnati Bengals and star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are ostensibly making headway to end their ugly, well-chronicled contract dispute, which is a massive development. There hasn't been much traction since the team allowed him to seek a trade in early March, if any. However, recent intel from NFL insider Jordan Schultz depicts a light at the end of what has felt like a never-ending tunnel.
Sources: The #Bengals have re-started talks with All-Pro DE Trey Hendrickson on a new deal for 2025.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 25, 2025
My understanding is the two sides have been exploring a more “unique” avenue to get something done. Giving Hendrickson more money this season while still letting his contract… pic.twitter.com/C4JyBUGWz2
Cincinnati and Hendrickson have resumed talks on a new deal for the upcoming campaign, per Schultz. They've reportedly begun taking a "unique" path to finding common ground and putting this stalemate behind them (for now). There's still "more work do to," though Bengals fans can start to have "cautious optimism" about having league's reigning sack leader in the mix.
Bengals fans can finally exhale after latest Trey Hendrickson contract dispute update
It's worth emphasizing that Hendrickson and the Bengals are seemingly working toward a short-term resolution. The tea leaves suggest the goal might be to tack more money onto the four-time Pro Bowler's 2025 salary instead of a multi-year extension. Doing this ends the hold-in/holdout saga and allows him to hit free agency next offseason, putting everyone at ease, at least temporarily.
Hopefully, this means Hendrickson can return to being a one-man wrecking crew for a Bengals defense that was historically bad in 2024 despite his outstandings efforts. This group can't afford to be without him if they want to have any shot of legitimately competing in a crowded AFC field. Cincy is more equipped than most to withstand an inability to make stops and win shootouts, but that's not a recipe for sustained success.
As Cincy has learned, franchise quarterback Joe Burrow and football's best wide receiver tandem, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, can only get them so far. They finished sixth in scoring last year en route to their second consecutive 9-8 finish and missed playoff berth. That's with Hendrickson in the lineup; the margin for error becomes nano-thin if he's not part of the picture.
Hendrickson tallied 36 quarterbacks hits, 19 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, six pass deflections and two forced fumbles last season. Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded him as the eighth-best edge defender out of 210 qualified options. He earned his first All-Pro nod and finished as the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up to Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Frankly, numbers and accolades don't properly depict how vital the 30-year-old is to Cincy's chances.
Only fellow AFC North competitors Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt have recorded more sacks than Hendrickson since he joined the Bengals in 2021 (57.0). He's been the linchpin of Cincy's stop unit since arriving. Yet, the front office has been reluctant to meet his demands, but cooler heads are apparently prevailing.