The Bengals have given DE Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade.
Hendrickson first requested a trade last offseason, after his desire for an extension was not entertained by the Bengals. His trade request was denied.
This offseason, Hendrickson and the Bengals have been working towards a contract extension. The star pass rusher does have 1 year left on his current deal, with a cap hit of just over $18.66M. However, Hendrickson has been looking for a raise, more security, and more guaranteed money, following a season where he led the league in sacks.
After having some talks, the two sides reportedly remain far apart. For the Bengals, these negotiations also come at a time where extensions for Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins remain high priorities. But still, they have enough cap space to fit everyone in.
By allowing Hendrickson to talk to other teams, it could give them a better sense of the market. Prospective trade partners will want to be able to extend Hendrickson, so they will be giving him some numbers that would be in the range of what they might offer.
Hendrickson could then go back to the Bengals with these numbers. They could either validate his demands and show the Bengals that they are not just bidding against themselves. Or, they could tell him that his market isn’t quite what he thought it was, and allow him to come back to the negotiating table with a revised offer. This is all hypothetical, of course. It is also possible that the Bengals get the numbers, still feel like they can’t match it, and go forward with trade negotiations.
If things go down that path, we know the Bengals are stingy when it comes to trades. Even if they entertain offers, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see them hold on to him regardless. As Hendrickson is a valuable player, they will be looking for a significant return.
The range of possibilities is wide. It will be interesting to see how things play out. But one thing is certain–the implications are big.
