What do the Dolphins, Bengals, and Steelers have in common right now? They’re all learning the hard way that ignoring your best defensive players rarely ends well. Miami just lost Jalen Ramsey after a contract dispute exploded, Pittsburgh is also sweating over T.J. Watt‘s absence, and Cincy? Well, they might be in the most awkward spot of all, because their best pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson, isn’t ready to take no for an answer. To be fair to him, he did settle it once. Last year. That, too, because of Joe Burrow. Trey admitted ahead of the 2024 season, “Well, it means a lot whenever somebody that talented has your back.”
But fast forward to a year later, and Trey’s not taking the hits anymore. This has escalated into one of the NFL’s most contentious contract disputes in recent years. After all, Trey has been the most productive edge rusher in football since 2023, racking up a league-best 35 sacks over two seasons. That includes 17.5 last year alone. Yet Cincinnati’s front office continues to lowball their defensive cornerstone, offering $28 million annually. That salary would rank him eighth at his position in today’s inflated market. For comparison, that’s $7–12 million less per year than the NFL’s top edge rushers now command.
The standoff has gotten personal. After briefly restarting talks, the two sides hit another wall – they can’t even agree on how long the new deal should be. For Trey Hendrickson, it’s not just about the money. He feels the Bengals simply don’t care about finding common ground. He said, “I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that’s hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals.” The only message he’s gotten from the team? A cold reminder from coach Zac Taylor about the $104,768 in fines he’s racking up by skipping mandatory workouts. But here’s the thing – Hendrickson keeps writing those checks on purpose. Every fine he pays sends the same clear message: “I’m not backing down.”
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As analyst Danny Kanell noted, this could drag into training camp, but eventually “the Bengals will realize what they have.” That realization can’t come soon enough. Hendrickson didn’t just lead Cincinnati’s defense last season – he was their defense, accounting for, again, 49% of the team’s total sacks. Without him, their pass rush doesn’t just take a step back – it almost disappears completely.
The implications run deeper than just on-field production. With Trey Hendrickson’s contract expiring after this season, the Bengals risk losing their defensive anchor for nothing. More damaging is the message this sends – when even an All-Pro who’s carried your defense feels undervalued, what does that say to the rest of the locker room? As Joe Burrow bluntly stated, resolving this is a “distraction,” yet the front office continues to drag its feet.
The question isn’t whether the Bengals will pay their defensive MVP – it’s whether they’ll pay him before this stalemate forces a trade or costs them more than just money. Because right now, they’re not just risking a season – they’re risking their credibility as a franchise that values its stars.
Why the Bengals can’t afford to wait
Time is running out for Cincinnati, and the price tag keeps climbing. As Micah Parsons and T.J. Watt prepare to shatter the edge rusher market this summer with deals that could hit over $40 million per year (if both the Cowboys and Steelers do comply to those demands), the Bengals are stuck playing a dangerous game of chicken. Here’s the brutal truth: Trey Hendrickson has been better than Watt over the past two seasons, racking up 35 sacks to Watt’s 30.5. Not just Watt, he’s been standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the peers who’re getting paid more.
Player
2024 Sacks
Tackles
Forced Fumbles
QB Hits
2025 Avg. Salary
Trey Hendrickson
17.5
46
2
24
$21 M
Myles Garrett
14.0
42
4
30
$40 M
Danielle Hunter
17.0
54
2
23
$35.6 M
Maxx Crosby
14.5
89
3
23
$35.5 M
Nick Bosa
11.5
51
2
25
$34 M
And according to Spotrac, Trey Hendrickson has a market value of $31.5 million per season. He could easily demand more than that because of his leverage in this trade situation. The numbers don’t lie. When Hendrickson isn’t on the field, the Bengals’ defense turns into a passing lane for opposing quarterbacks. They give up completions 69% of the time without him compared to 64% with him. That’s not just production, that’s survival.
The Bengals are at a crossroads. Every day they wait, Parsons and Watts’ looming deals make Hendrickson more expensive. This isn’t just about money anymore. It’s about whether Cincinnati wants to win now or explain later why they let their championship window slam shut over a few million dollars. The market won’t wait, and neither should they.
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