Trey Hendrickson Ends Holdout By Reworking 2025 Contract With Bengals
Deal ends holdout but keeps star defender as free agent after 2025 season
It's not an outright win for Trey Hendickson, but neither is it a loss – not when he's just become the sixth-highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL this year and a free agent next year.
The Cincinnati Bengals and their best defensive player on Monday ironed out a new, one-year deal that replaces his old dea. The new deal gives Hendrickson a $14.2 million raise.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 23: Trey Hendrickson #91 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on December 23, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
A Huge Raise For Hendrickson
The new deal will make Hendrickson one of the NFL’s highest-paid defenders for 2025 with a $30 million total salary for the season. Hendrickson was originally scheduled to make $15.8 million this season.
And here's the kicker: The edge rusher who collected 35 sacks the past two seasons was scheduled to hit free agency after this season. And he's still scheduled to hit free agency after this season.
So Hendrickson will be able to collect another payday at age 32 after getting this big raise at age 31.
Is this the total win Hendrickson was hoping for? No.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91), left, and Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard (94) celebrate a sack in the second quarter during a Week 16 NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.
Not Exactly What Hendrickson Wanted
He wanted a multi-year deal with the Bengals that included guarantees beyond this year.
The Bengals balked at that idea because they apparently have concerns about paying a player on the wrong side of 30 and giving him guarantees when he's 32 or 33 years old.
So this is obviously a compromise in that Hendrickson is going to go from being 12th-highest-paid edge rusher to the sixth-highest. And he has a chance to get more guaranteed money in free agency next season.
A sort of win-win for everyone at the moment.
And a huge victory for both sides in that Hendrickson will be available in the Bengals' regular-season opener against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 7. Both the Bengals and Hendrickson wanted that.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) joins camp during a preseason training camp practice in downtown Cincinnati on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
Trey Hendrickson Hold In Ends
It was one of the few points of agreement the past offseason.
Hendrickson skipped the voluntary offseason program and actually skipped the start of training camp before eventually reporting and conducting something of a hold in by not participating in practice as he waited on a new deal.
That hold-in, by the way, came after Hendrickson requested a trade, but the Bengals made it clear to him that wasn't happening.
Hendrickson has been to four consecutive Pro Bowls since joining the Bengals and has 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons and has been one of the team's few defensive playmakers.
If Hendrickson delivers the kind of season in 2025 he has the previous two seasons, that will obviously be a big plus for the Bengals. And it should pay off handsomely for him in free agency next offseason.