Trey Hendrickson's prolonged contract dispute with the Bengals has finally been resolved.
Hendrickson and the Bengals have agreed to a reworked contract that will provide him with a $14 million raise, bringing his 2025 salary to $30 million, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Monday. The team later announced it's officially agreed to an adjusted deal with the Pro Bowl pass rusher.
The agreement expires after 2025, meaning Hendrickson will have a chance to become a free agent and cash in on the open market, especially if he produces at a rate similar to the 35 combined sacks he's tallied over the last two campaigns, unless Cincinnati opts to use its franchise tag on Hendrickson next offseason.
Hendrickson battled with the Bengals over his contract for the entire 2025 offseason, speaking openly of the frustration he experienced while struggling to come to terms with the team he'd joined as a free agent in 2021. The stalemate included two separate periods in which Hendrickson and/or the Bengals explored trade possibilities, dragged into training camp, and saw Hendrickson stage both a holdout and a hold-in while his representation worked toward a deal.
Parties finally reached a conclusion on Monday.
What does this mean for Hendrickson's future in Cincinnati?
The Bengals' failure to reach the playoffs last season was accurately pinned on their defense, a porous unit even with Hendrickson's league-best 17.5 sacks included in the equation. They couldn't embark on the 2025 season in good conscience without finding a way to bring Hendrickson back into the fold, and while Bengals fans will sleep peacefully knowing their team finally has their quarterback-hunting machine back on the field, it might be nothing more than a swan song for their partnership.
Hendrickson's financial desires were always justified. He racked up 35 sacks over his last two seasons, led the NFL in the category last year and was making significantly less than his counterparts. Three of them -- Las Vegas' Maxx Crosby, Cleveland's Myles Garrett and Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt -- received lucrative extensions in 2025. Hendrickson, meanwhile, watched Cincinnati spend lavishly on receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, then decline to reward him in similar fashion for his production at a pivotal point in his NFL journey
Hendrickson turns 31 in December, which might be a discouraging factor for those contemplating signing him to a lucrative, multi-year deal. He's in a tough spot because of his age. But after the Bengals waited until the end of August to give him a raise, Hendrickson might feel motivated to explore a stronger deal elsewhere after 2025. If his production is similar to his numbers in the last two seasons, someone will pay him and assume the age-related risk if he reaches the open market. It just might not be the Bengals writing the checks.
What does this mean for Bengals D in 2025?
Cincinnati has spent months attempting to right the defensive ship under new coordinator Al Golden to mixed results. Camp reports have suggested the Bengals would surprise many with their performance on that side of the ball in 2025, but the on-field results in preseason action -- albeit an inadequate sample size -- didn't match that optimism. With this in mind, Hendrickson's return is a major win for the Bengals as the regular season looms.
Because he's held out of on-field activities this summer, there's no telling how long it will take Hendrickson to properly ramp up in preparation for the season. For a team that has notoriously struggled out of the gate under head coach Zac Taylor, it would have liked to have gotten this deal done two weeks ago in order to give Hendrickson nearly a month to prepare.
But once he clears that period, Hendrickson will rejoin a defense that is expecting first-round rookie Shemar Stewart to become a force off the edge. If Hendrickson remains the same sack-stacking edge rusher he's been over the last four seasons, he and Stewart should form quite a tandem, which could go a long way toward turning around this unit.