Bengals Didn't Franchise Tag Trey Hendrickson; Standout De Set To Become Unrestricted Free Agent

The Cincinnati Bengals didn't use the franchise tag on standout pass rusher Trey Hendrickson by the deadline on Tuesday afternoon. As a result, Hendrickson, 31, will reportedly become an unrestricted free agent.

He's poised to have plenty of options as a coveted defensive end on the open market, unlike last offseason when he found himself in a contract dispute that dragged into the summer and dominated headlines.

After the deadline came and went on Tuesday afternon, Hendrickson posted a goodbye message to the Bengals on social media. 

Coming off his fourth straight Pro Bowl and back-to-back 17.5-sack campaigns, Hendrickson was eying a new contract after earning first-team All-Pro honors as the NFL's sack leader in 2024. The Bengals gave him permission to seek a trade last March, although one never came to fruition. 

He eventually held out and then reported during training camp before agreeing to a $14 million raise that made him one of the league's highest-paid defenders in 2025 while he played on the final year of his deal.

But Hendrickson appeared in only seven games because of a core muscle injury. He initially tried to play through the issue, but it wound up requiring season-ending surgery.

The Bengals missed Hendrickson's presence. He had breathed some life into a struggling Cincinnati defense the previous two seasons. 

Without him during the final nine games this past season, the Bengals allowed 26.6 points and 142.8 rushing yards per contest. Granted, Al Golden's unit was technically even worse statistically before Hendrickson's injury, but it's worth noting that, amid his prolonged absence down the stretch, the Bengals notably lost a pair of games in which they scored 42 and 34 points, respectively.

Hendrickson started his career with the New Orleans Saints, who took him in the third round of the 2017 draft out of Florida Atlantic.

After spending four seasons with the Saints, the final of which saw him pile up 13.5 sacks, he inked a four-year, $60 million contract with the Bengals ahead of the 2021 season. Then, after helping the Bengals reach the Super Bowl and another AFC championship, he signed a one-year, $21 million extension.

Hendrickson continued to deliver in Cincinnati; however, the Bengals prioritized signing wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long-term extensions last offseason.

Meanwhile, extension talks between Hendrickson and the organization reportedly stalled over disagreements about guaranteed money. Now, Hendrickson will be free to sign elsewhere.