Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson is listed as the top available free agent in the NFL by several sites, including Pro Football Focus. After two years of contentious contract negotiations, the hope for the Bengals and Hendrickson to work out a long-term extension is all but gone.
Many expect the two sides to part ways this offseason, and that outcome could take multiple forms. The Bengals could simply let Hendrickson’s contract expire and let him hit the open market, or they could franchise tag him and look for a trade partner. Either way, Hendrickson is not expected back in Cincinnati.
Hendrickson is expected to have a large market, but a recent contract projection from PFF comes in much lower than expected.
PFF predicts Hendrickson’s next deal to be for one year at only $21,000,000, with just $17,000,000 of that guaranteed. That is a big drop from the $30 million the Bengals paid him last season.
“Hendrickson battled injuries throughout the 2025 season but still ranked sixth among all edge defenders in PFF pass-rush grade (90.0). He has now posted five consecutive PFF pass-rush grades above 85.0 and generated 23 total pressures on 177 pass-rush snaps this year,” the article states.
If that is Hendrickson’s value on the open market, franchise tagging him at $34.8 million wouldn’t make much sense for the Bengals. In fact, if Hendrickson can only get a one-year deal for $21 million, the Bengals may be in the mix to actually bring him back.
That, of course, is just a projection. Teams will pay above market value for players in March, and all it takes is two interested teams to start a bidding war. Hendrickson still likely ends up elsewhere in 2026, but a projection like that may crack the door open for a return to Cincinnati, even if it is just a little.
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