The Cincinnati Bengals are letting star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson seek a trade this offseason. The defensive end has recorded 35 sacks in the last two seasons.
The Bengals’ decision to let Hendrickson test the market comes days after defensive end Sam Hubbard chose to retire at 29. Cincinnati will need to rest at the position in an offseason where the defense already needed to address several holes as the team juggles contract extensions for wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase.
So why et Hendrickson go?
Cincinnati Bengals had interesting timing for trade news
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested that the Bengals put Hendrickson on the market after seeing what the Las Vegas Raiders gave Maxx Crosby in his extension. Cincinnati decided they weren’t going to give Hendrickson Crosby-like money despite the 30-year-old pass rusher recording half a sack more than Crosby over the last two seasons.
Applying common sense to the indisputable timeline, it seems obvious that the Bengals’ plan to try to sign Hendrickson changed the moment Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosy re-set the non-quarterback market at $35.5 million per year in new money, with two years of full guarantees and a third year that is, as a practical matter, guaranteed at signing,” Florio wrote.
Related: Sam Hubbard retires at 29
“It might not be that the Crosby deal made Hendrickson want more. It could be that the Crosby contract made Hendrickson’s prior position — at which the Bengals quite possibly scoffed — more reasonable.”
Losing Trey Hendrickson would be a huge blow
Losing Hendrickson would damper the Bengals’ hopes of being a legitimate Super Bowl contender in 2025. Even with Hendrickson’s pass rush, Cincinnati’s defense was a turnstile in 2024.
The Bengals can only improve so many positions in the draft and free agency.
Quarterback Joe Burrow will have every reason to feel frustrated if Hendrickson doesn’t come back.
Thanks Raiders.
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