The Cincinnati Bengals signed defensive end Trey Hendrickson to a new contract, securing his services for the 2025 NFL season after a long and contentious negotiation. But neither side got what they wanted. And even though the front office found a way to make a deal, it comes with a price.
How did we get here?
Contrary to what everyone told you all offseason, the Bengals did what everyone told them they should do. However, getting ahead of the salary explosion was largely ignored as the stereotypical “Bengals are cheap” storylines gained traction.
Cincinnati signed Hendrickson in free agency in 2021. He went on to have 14 sacks that season. The following year, the Pro Bowl pass-rusher dipped into single-digit sacks for the first time since 2019 with eight. That is when the C-suite offered him a pay cut. Just kidding.
After a “down” Pro Bowl year, Hendrickson and his representatives foolishly accepted a one-year extension that ultimately led to the standoff we witnessed. If Hendrickson had not signed then, the situation would not have unfolded as it did.
To quote the great American philosopher Shemar Stewart, “Technically, he’s still one percent wrong."
Perhaps Hendrickson was 2% wrong.
Context from around the league on Trey Hendrickson's raise
When Hendrickson signed his extension in 2022, the edge rusher market was already on the verge of exploding.
In 2022, the highest-paid edge rushers per year were T.J. Watt ($28 million), Joey Bosa ($27 million), Myles Garrett ($25 million), Khalil Mack ($23.5 million), and Maxx Crosby ($23.5 million).
Hendrickson’s one-year, $16 million extension came with an $8 million signing bonus. Even then, his per-year numbers came nowhere near what the top guys at the position were getting.
Today, despite being the reigning sack-king and even with a $14 million raise, Hendrickson’s new deal still doesn’t approach other 30-year-old standouts at his position. 31-year-old Watt and Danielle Hunter make $41 million and $35.6 million per year, respectively. Garrett, 30, earns $40 million.
The Bengals should’ve done more to appease Trey Hendrickson
No, Hendrickson should not have signed that ridiculous contract extension in 2023. Nevertheless, the Bengals should have recognized the goodwill with players in the locker room and around the league if they had done (more) right by their best defensive player today.
But returning to the philosophical teachings of Stewart, chapter one, verse two, “In Trey’s case, I think it should be a no-brainer too. He had 17.5 sacks, for two years, back-to-back. If I was the GM, or if I was the owner, take all my money. But I guess they don’t operate like that.” Stewart’s guess was correct.
The front office needed to find a three-year deal. It’s what Hendrickson wants and deserves. But we all know that you don’t get what you deserve, but what you negotiate.
Cincinnati should have, at least, given Hendrickson a contract on par with Hunter’s. But with this being a one-year deal, the front office should have gone to $37.5 million. That would have slotted him perfectly between Garrett and Hunter. But hey, it’s not our money, so it’s easy to say what they should’ve done. However, in this case, it would have been just as easy to do.
Furthermore, if (err, when) Hendrickson has another season where he leads the league in sacks, it would’ve made it easier to negotiate another extension. As it stands, no matter what, Hendrickson will likely want out of Cincinnati next offseason.
Also, thanks to what he will earn this year, it will be easier for Hendrickson to summarily reject any and every low-ball offer the front office might throw his way in 2026.
The rare win-win-lose-lose scenario between Trey Hendrickson, Bengals
The excellent news is that the contract sagas are over for the 2025 season. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins received lucrative extensions. Hendrickson increased his pay and now has 10 days to focus and prepare to help the Bengals secure a win against their in-state rival, the Cleveland Browns. There won’t be a repeat of what happened last year when we didn’t know if Chase would play in the season opener.
On the other hand, no one got what they wanted, which is a key characteristic of a successful negotiation. Hendrickson did not get the multi-year extension he sought. Despite the Bengals correctly anticipating the edge rush boom and getting ahead of the curve, they will pay $30 million instead of the $16 negotiated in 2023.
And not for nothing, Mike Brown found a resolution with their 2022 first-round pick, Ja’Marr Chase, and star edge rusher, while Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones can’t get out of his own way with Micah Parsons’ negotiation. So maybe it’s the Cowboys, not the Bengals, who should have mocked this offseason all along.
In the end, this was the rare win-win-lose-lose. Neither party received exactly what they wanted, yet both sides avoided disaster. Hopefully, by the end of the 2025 campaign, everyone within the Bengals’ organization will feel validated in their decision-making as they celebrate with the Lombardi Trophy in hand. Hendrickson holding the MVP at the end would also be an appropriate icing on the proverbial cake.