Are Bengals changing their minds about a Trey Hendrickson trade?

USA Today

06-03-2025

Are Bengals changing their minds about a Trey Hendrickson trade?
The vibe around a Trey Hendrickson trade for the Cincinnati Bengals has changed in a hurry.
Not all that long ago, such an idea was a non-starter. Why trade the reigning NFL sack leader and only elite portion of a defense undergoing a dramatic rebuild?
But one report recently listed Hendrickson as the possible "odd man out" if the Bengals get huge contract extensions done with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Now, The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov said during an appearance on the "Drop the Mic" podcast that he's starting to get a different sense of things about the situation with Hendrickson, too.
"To this point, they're very far apart," Meirov said. "A couple of weeks ago, I would have said there's no chance he gets traded. I think the possiblity's out there. If they're able to get a crazy, crazy offer for him, I think they'd be willing to listen. They don't want to trade him, they want to keep him, but now their ears are a little open, I would say."
Keep in mind that what's coming out right now could very much be one-sided leaks and leverage plays. A Hendrickson extension could happen at literally any point between now and free agency opening next week. Ditto for Chase and Higgins.
Still, where Hendrickson and his reps want to land in pay matters. Chase is going to get $40 million per year and Higgins could very well be at $30 million or more per year, too. Hendrickson should probably be up over that latter number, too, but the fact that he's now 30 years old will make the Bengals hesitant to go there.
Both Hendrickson and the Bengals have remained adamant they don't want to split, but it's likely other teams are at least weighing the idea of picking up the phone, just in case. As always, when it comes to blockbuster Bengals trades, they would have to win it in a landslide to actually make a deal happen.