A very interesting update…
The Cincinnati Bengals have been getting hammered with the usual ‘cheap’ tag after news broke that the team allowed Trey Hendrickson to seek a trade, potentially signaling an end to his time in the Queen City.
As it turns out, the Bengals may have made a very competitive offer to keep Hendrickson.
According to WLWT’s Mike Dardis, the Bengals offered Hendrickson a deal in the neighborhood of $30-32 million annually, but this is unconfirmed, so take it with a grain of salt for the time being.
Listen, I didn’t see the numbers in front of me… But I believe from talking with people and talking with a few few insiders who I trust… That he was offered $30-$32 million a year
— MikeDardisWLWT (@MikeDardisWLWT) March 8, 2025
If true, the Bengals are certainly willing to hit the average-per-year range it would likely take to keep Hendrickson. It also likely means that the length of the deal and/or the guaranteed money are why a deal hasn’t been done.
With Hendrickson turning 31 years old during the 2025 season in December, it’s easy to see why the Bengals may not be willing to go high in the number of years on the deal or lots of guaranteed money.
Fellow WLWT reporter Olivia Ray caught up with Hendrickson at a charity event, where the All-Pro defensive end said, “There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”
Trey Hendrickson remains in Cincinnati this evening – he spoke with @WLWT tonight after the #Bengals granted the All-Pro DE permission to seek a trade.
Hendrickson explains how he feels after the two sides have been unable to come to an agreement ➡️ More from him at 11PM only… pic.twitter.com/KdyRVY95Ua
— Olivia Ray (@OliviaRayTV) March 8, 2025
We’ll see.
