All offseason long, Cincinnati Bengals fans have been subjected to drama surrounding Trey Hendrickson and his contract situation with the team. Hendrickson feels like he deserves a hefty extension while the Bengals clearly are okay not paying him what he thinks he's worth.
With the two sides unable to come to an agreement all offseason, Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that "With contract talks at an impasse, the #Bengals are listening to trade offers for perennial Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson, per me & @TomPelissero.It’s unclear if the NFL sack leader will be playing elsewhere in 2025, and a trade will be a real challenge. But time will tell."
This is not great news for the Bengals or the fans, as it felt like this would end the same way the other contract drama ended, with Hendrickson ultimately getting the money he asked for. The Bengals reportedly were asking for a lot in return earlier in the offseason and now they'll likely have to accept a lot less if they end up sending Hendrickson elsewhere.
Bengals may trade Trey Hendrickson after contract impasse
It shouldn't surprise anyone that plenty of teams are interested in bringing Hendrickson in either. Jordan Schultz reported that the Browns, Colts, and Panthers have "shown interest" in making a trade for Hendrickson. The Colts make the most sense here given Lou Anarumo is their defensive coordinator and Hendrickson obviously had tremendous success under Anarumo over the past few years.
Bengals fans are still hoping that a deal can get worked out here but if not, a trade might end up having to happen. It's been frustrating to see this whole ordeal get dragged out for as long as it has and if the Bengals end up trading Hendrickson now, they're putting themselves in a more difficult spot for the 2025 season.
The defense won't look the same without Hendrickson, and as fans saw last year, if the defense can't be even just average, this team is going to have a tough time reaching the playoffs. Maybe a deal can still get done but if not, this is a bad look all around.