Trey Hendrickson and Bengals Reach Agreement for 2025 Season

Trey Hendrickson has come to terms with the Cincinnati Bengals on a new contract for the 2025 NFL season. Reports indicate that the deal includes a remarkable $14 million salary increase, bringing him to a total of $30 million for the upcoming season. It’s official, as the Bengals confirmed the revised contract.

While it’s not a long-term extension, Hendrickson seems content—at least for now. He is expected to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2025 season.

As for his mindset, Hendrickson was quite reluctant to play at a $16 million salary this year. He had hoped to secure a longer-term deal during the offseason. When that didn’t pan out, he reported to training camp and, well, things were a bit tense. There were even rumors about the Bengals considering trading him, despite him being the sack leader in 2024.

Upon arriving at training camp, Hendrickson participated minimally and was essentially a “hold-in” player, attending only team meetings.

This new agreement means he’s now set up for the upcoming season, but if no long-term solution is found before March 2026, he’ll enter free agency. To be honest, it’s a bit of a gamble on both sides.

Now that this deal is finalized, Hendrickson can genuinely prepare alongside his teammates for the practices ahead. He managed to sit through all three of the preseason games, even with other key players like quarterback Joe Burrow resting.

In his ninth NFL season, Hendrickson achieved a solid 17.5 sacks in the last two seasons, adding a first-team All-Pro honor in 2024 to his accolades. He’s also made his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl appearance.

This revised deal was crucial for the Bengals as they also took care of wide receiver Tee Higgins earlier this offseason. The team has had to navigate a few tense moments regarding contract negotiations, including some friction with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, who wasn’t thrilled with his rookie contract terms.

Looking ahead, the Bengals seem to be aligning everything they need to have a solid season. After finishing last year with a 9-8 record, this new contract may just help keep things on track.