The Bengals and DE Trey Hendrickson have agreed to a reworked deal that should see the star pass rusher end his holdout.
It is important to note that this is a rework of his original deal, which has 1 year remaining. This is not an extension.
On the reworked deal, Hendrickson will see his pay boosted from $14M to $30M for the 2025 season.
Hendrickson had been holding out in search of a contract that more accurately represents his contributions to the team, and earlier in the offseason, even requested a trade in an attempt to create some leverage for himself. In all honesty, it is still below market value, but still, it nearly doubles his salary for this season, while leaving open the possibility of a big payday a year from now.
It is possible that the two sides continue to work on a longer term deal. It has been reported through much of the offseason that guaranteed money was the hangup, as opposed to AAV. This isn’t surprising, given that the Bengals are usually reluctant to hand out guaranteed money to players in their 30’s.
Interestingly, Jordan Schultz is reporting that there seems to be no clause in the contract that prevents the franchise tag from being used on him next offseason. That would pay $36M on a 1 year deal. This is a route that the Bengals could take, as we have seen in the past with guys like Tee Higgins and Jessie Bates.
Although the franchise tag gives the team some security regarding their star player, Hendrickson will certainly be looking for more long term security than that would provide. It is likely that the two sides will still be in contact, with this reworked deal possibly serving as a bridge to an eventual extension.
But for now, at the very least, the hold out should be coming to an end, and Trey Hendrickson will be out there for week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.
Featured Image Via: Eli Marshall