As the NFL trade deadline came to a close, many wondered if the Cincinnati Bengals would move on from star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. With a 3-6 record and Hendrickson on an expiring contract, many people felt the best move for Cincinnati was to move the reigning NFL sack leader for draft capital.
Ultimately, the Bengals didn’t move Hendrickson. They have been known to value their players too high in trade negotiations at times, but a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler suggests that overvaluing Hendrickson wasn’t necessarily an issue this time around.
“The 3-6 Bengals had a compelling case to move Trey Hendrickson,” Fowler reports. “Teams I spoke to believed Cincinnati wanted a second-rounder for him. Dallas, which pursued Hendrickson, considered that steep.”
It appears the Dallas Cowboys at least inquired about Hendrickson, perhaps when they were working out the trade for linebacker Logan Wilson, but they weren’t prepared to part with a second-round selection.
2025 hasn’t been Hendrickson’s best season thanks to injuries, but a second-rounder is not too much to ask for a player who led the NFL in sacks last season and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting less than a year ago.
The Bengals, of course, have the option of franchise tagging Hendrickson after this season and having another year of control over his contractual rights. Even with a playoff berth feeling next to impossible, the Bengals weren’t prepared to part with a valuable asset for less than they felt he was worth.
Ultimately, Hendrickson remains with the Bengals and we will likely have another contentious offseason between Hendrickson and the Bengals brass.
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