All indications and trade rumors from the Cincinnati Bengals have been that superstar defensive end Trey Hendrickson is not for sale. Sounds like things have changed for the worse on that front.
Not that it's inconceivable for the Bengals to trade Hendrickson before the Nov. 4 deadline, but doing so seems like organizational malpractice. As if the offseason contract negotiations weren't bad enough, the raise Cincinnati gave Hendrickson was supposed to keep him on the roster through the whole 2025 season.
Circumstances change quickly often in the NFL, though. Joe Burrow's latest major injury underscores that point. And in a roller-coaster Bengals season, seemingly anything is on the table.
Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reports Bengals are open to Trey Hendrickson trade
Right before the Bengals' Week 9 matchup against the Chicago Bears, Jay Glazer dropped some unsavory Trey Hendrickson "scoopage" as he'd call it on Fox Sports' pregame show.
"It seemed like a hard no about a week or so ago, and now it's not."
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 2, 2025
The Bengals are now open to trade talks surrounding Trey Hendrickson, per @JayGlazer pic.twitter.com/TBTIO3NBiE
Hendrickson is out for Week 9 due to a nagging hip injury that he aggravated in last Sunday's loss to the New York Jets. Cincinnati's defense got gashed time and again in that contest.
Once Hendrickson was out of the lineup, the pass rush was nonexistent — even when Al Golden dialed up more blitzes than usual. It's a flat-out pathetic group in the Bengals' defensive trenches when it comes to rushing the passer.
Bengals Pass Rush Win Rate | Through Week 8
— Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) October 29, 2025
EDGE:
➖Hendrickson - 21.5% (7/119)
➖Stewart - 10.1% (73/116)
➖Murphy - 9.8% (75/116)
➖Ossai - 8.1% (99/116)
iDL:
➖Hill - 8.6% (58/121)
➖Slaton - 6.3% (87/121)
➖Jenkins - 4.9% (95/121)
➖Pennel - 3.3% (109/121)
Trend = 📉
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams' penchant for holding the ball too long gives Cincinnati more hope this week than most others. However, it's not like the Week 10 bye is going to bring about some miracle where the Bengals' current pass rushers suddenly perform anywhere near Hendrickson's level. That's why trading him is such a ridiculous proposition.
What's the sell to Who Dey Nation? If Hendrickson has proved anything this year, both when he's been healthy and not, it's that he's an invaluable, irreplaceable piece to this defense. Trading him signals throwing in the towel on the 2025 campaign.
In the event that Hendrickson is gone, might as well give up all hope that Burrow will make a comeback in December. The Bengals will be irrelevant and have zero chance of stopping any offense sans Hendrickson, barring a miraculous leap forward in development from rookie first-round pick Shemar Stewart.
It's so exhausting to watch Duke Tobin, the front office, and ownership continually botch their relationship with Hendrickson. He's rewarded their faith in him ever since his arrival, and they haven't acted in good faith pretty much ever since then.
In the meantime, the personnel department has whiffed on every addition at Hendrickson's position. Big yikes all around.