In August 2023, Cincinnati gave Trey Hendrickson an odd $21 million one-year deal. It was only a temporary fix to keep their top pass rusher content while distributing cap hits over time. There was no extravagant back-loading or Saints-style void years. Another subtle move after that was convincing Joe Mixon to accept a significant pay cut to remain on board. It’s like a pattern they follow. The Bengals quietly reconfigure their cap, contract after contract, and they’ve done it once more.
Now that the NFL draft has concluded, Cincinnati is rearranging its present besides looking to the future. And they are going for two moves, not just one. Restructuring Zack Moss and Geno Stone’s contracts.
Andre Perrotta, a cap analyst, shared the cap breakdown of the Bengals on X on April 29. “Details from the re-worked Zack Moss contract: As an initial matter, Moss’ re-worked deal created $1,698,236 in 2025 Cap Space for the Bengals.” From a $3.475 million cash payout and a $4.816 million cap hit to $1.7 million in cash and a $3.118 million cap hit, Zack Moss’ revised contract provides a clear financial picture. Cincinnati was able to save more than $1.6 million in cap savings. Because Moss took a huge 51.1% pay cut in exchange for only $375,000 guaranteed, which is even less than what Samaje Perine got in Denver.
The Bengals have created $3,273,236 in Cap Room (and Cash savings) by re-working Geno Stone’s deal ($1,575,000) and Zack Moss’ deal ($1,698,236).
FA S Julian Blackmon earned $3.7M last season on his one year deal in Indy.
Blackmon is represented by Ja’Marr & Tee’s agent… https://t.co/TxH0whTAN5
— Andre Perrotta (@andreperrotta13) May 6, 2025
Moss wasn’t alone, though. In order to generate an additional $1.575 million in space, the Bengals also made adjustments to the contract for safety, Geno Stone. “The Bengals have created $3,273,236 in Cap Room (and Cash savings) by re-working Geno Stone’s deal ($1,575,000) and Zack Moss’ deal ($1,698,236),” Perrotta continued. Cincinnati has freed up more than $3.2 million in cap space overall.
Why now? Because this salary room may be more about positioning than survival. As Julian Blackmon, a 26-year-old safety who made $3.7 million the previous season, is still available in free agency and is represented by Tee Higgins’ agent, Rocky Arceneaux. However, Bengals’ timing points to a larger goal: preventing the Trey Hendrickson crisis from getting out of hand.
The $30M question: Will the Bengals lock in Trey Hendrickson long-term?
Texas A&M pass rusher Shemar Stewart was selected by the Bengals in the 2025 draft class, and for a brief moment, it felt like a passing of the torch. After Sam Hubbard retired, there were rumors that Cincinnati might trade Trey Hendrickson, now 30 and nearing the conclusion of his contract. But then Diana Russini of The Athletic wrote a story that stifled any trade rumours and hinted at a far more costly conclusion. Russini stated on her Scoop City program, “I did a little digging on it and I’m still getting really good vibes coming out of Cincy that they’re going to try to get a deal done with Trey [Hendrickson].”
The Bengals are also not avoiding the cost. A new Hendrickson contract may come up to $30 million annually, according to several reports. That’s top edge rusher money but then Trey had that top edge rusher performance. Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks in 2024 with 17.5 for the second consecutive season. To put that in context, Hendrickson was responsible for about half of Cincinnati’s pass rush, which ended the season with 36 sacks overall.
Additionally, the franchise’s face is exerting pressure on the team to extend him. Russini continued, “Joe Burrow has pushed for Cincinnati to lock in Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson. Based on conversations I’m having, the Bengals are trying to do just that.”
Still, no agreement has been reached. Hendrickson’s deal is still in limbo while the front office is creating cap space. With a brief extension in 2023, the Bengals performed a similar variation of this dance, but the stakes have now increased. So the Bengals just saved $3.2 million in cap this week? While it might not be sufficient to sign a game-changing free agent, it might be sufficient to lay the financial groundwork for securing the team’s most valuable defender before the “vibes” expire.
The post Bengals Announce $3.2M News Amid Trey Hendrickson’s Doubtful Future as Insider Provides $30M Contract Update appeared first on EssentiallySports.
