Trey Hendrickson’s contract holdout is probably over.
On Monday, August 25, the Cincinnati Bengals agreed to a restructured deal, which boosted Hendrickson’s 2025 salary to $30 million. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, this is a $14 million increase from his previous deal. The revised contract reportedly includes a $1 million incentive if the defensive end plays 60% of snaps and Cincinnati makes the playoffs. However, Hendrickson is still set to become an unrestricted free agent once this season is over.
Another hold-in ends: Bengals and Trey Hendrickson reached agreement today on a $14 million raise for this year, boosting his 2025 salary to $30 million dollars, per sources. Hendrickson still is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. pic.twitter.com/Yhc1iT6ca8
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2025
Hendrickson came into the offseason seeking a long-term deal with guaranteed money. The Bengals initially offered a two-year, $79 million extension, including $33 million guaranteed. However, the deal had no guarantees beyond 2025, so Hendrickson declined, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported. Before Monday’s agreement, the 30-year-old had skipped all offseason workouts and training camp, insisting he’d not play under his original $16 million deal.
The move, though, places Hendrickson among the NFL’s top-paid edge rushers. Now he’s sixth behind T.J. Watt (salary $41 million per year), Myles Garrett ($40 million), Danielle Hunter ($35.6 million), Maxx Crosby ($35.5 million), and Nick Bosa ($34 million).
This also marks the third major offseason roster move for Cincinnati. Back in March, WRs Ja’Marr Chase ($161 million over four years) and Tee Higgins ($115 million over three years) signed massive contract extensions. Trey Hendrickson joins QB Joe Burrow, Chase, and Higgins as the fourth Bengal making $30 million or more annually.
As far as the stats go, the Florida Atlantic Owls’ product is coming off back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons. He earned All-Pro honors and a fourth consecutive Pro Bowl selection in 2024. That said, this restructured deal (after consecutive 9-8 seasons) signals renewed hope for the Bengals to reclaim elite status.
Zac Taylor highlights ‘peace of mind’ as Trey Hendrickson’s deal brings stability to Bengals’ defense
Bengals coach Zac Taylor called Monday’s resolution of Trey Hendrickson’s contract a source of “great peace of mind.” He told reporters on Tuesday’s Zoom call that both the organization and Hendrickson now know exactly where they stand (Bengals media, August 26, 2025). The defensive end’s reworked one-year deal ensures he’s back on-field for practice ahead of Cincinnati’s Week 1 trip to face the Cleveland Browns.
Acknowledging the organizational efforts required to manage star contracts, Taylor said (via Cleveland.com):
“I think it’s just great peace of mind, not only for us, but for him to know what the situation is. We’re good to go. … Balancing a lot of talented players is not easy, especially when it’s time for them to get paid. And I don’t think our organization gets enough credit for how they balance all this, how they handle it. It’s not simple.”
Taylor also alluded that securing Hendrickson’s services stabilizes a defense that struggled last year, all while keeping the Bengals’ championship window intact.
