Breaking down Trey Hendrickson's new contract with the Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals signed a player to an extension but no, it wasn't Joe Burrow. Trey Hendrickson signed a one-year extension with the team, tying him to Cincinnati through 2025.
Some might wonder why Hendrickson would agree to do this considering he wasn't at the end of his deal. The Bengals probably gave Hendrickson a nice signing bonus while also freeing up more space to sign the big names they're hoping to keep around past this season.
Bengals extend Trey Hendrickson, creating more flexibility from a cap standpoint as several players continue to seek big deals https://t.co/eYstn3YpwJ
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) July 27, 2023
Bengals sign Trey Hendrickson to one-year extension
Hendrickson joined the Bengals in 2021 after spending the first four years of his career in New Orleans. Some thought he might be a one-year wonder after what he did during that 2020 season in the Big Easy but Hendrickson immediately left his mark with the Bengals in year one, notching 14.0 sacks.
A general rule of thumb in the NFL is that the longer the contract, the more room there is for flexibility with that contract.
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) July 27, 2023
Trey Hendrickson now has another year on his deal. The structure could shape next steps for Burrow, Higgins and Wilson.
Year two wasn't as good for the former third-round pick but he was still the team's best pass-rusher. Now they'll have him under contract for three more years.
If there was ever a sign the Bengals are going to bend on contractual precedent/do things differently in this current era, extending a player two years early tells you a lot
— Brad Spielberger, Esq. (@PFF_Brad) July 27, 2023
Hendrickson has vastly outplayed his 4/$60M free agent contract signed in 2021, well deserved https://t.co/wqrzmj8lzH
dark. Next. 3 Bold Predictions for 2023 Season. 3 Bold Predictions for 2023 Season
This was a smart move for both sides because, as mentioned, Hendrickson likely gets more signing money and the Bengals now have more space to make some contract magic happen. It sure feels as though they're getting ready to extend all of their top players but we'll have to wait and see.