It's Time for Cincinnati Bengals to Make Decision About Trey Hendrickson's Future

The Bengals can't have unnecessary and avoidable distractions in training camp this season.

Cincinnati Bengals Trey Hendrickson makes an appearance at practice, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at Kettering Health Practice Fields in Downtown Cincinnati. / Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Alright Bengals, it's time to make a decision about Trey Hendrickson's future.

No, there's no trade deadline lingering. The NFL Draft has come and gone. The Bengals' offseason program is underway, but the veteran doesn't need to be part of practices in May to have a successful season.

So if there's no deadline, why should the Bengals make a decision?

Because if they don't, the Hendrickson situation is going to get worse. It's certainly going to get worse before it gets better.

He made it clear on Tuesday that he won't play on his current contract this season.

The 30-year-old is set to make $16 million in the final year of his deal. He surprised everyone by showing up for Tuesday's practice and spent nearly 24 minutes talking to the media.

The Bengals have had months to think about Hendrickson's future. And maybe they believe winning a staring contest with Hendrickson will lead to him accepting whatever offer they made.

Related: Takeaways From Trey Hendrickson Comments While Airing His Grievances at Bengals Practice

The staring contest will just become a distraction. It already has. Hendrickson was the story on Tuesday. Letting this linger isn't going to help anyone involved.

It feels like the Bengals are in the process of creating a distraction that's going to be far louder than what happened last year when Ja'Marr Chase held in during training camp.

The Bengals know what they're going to do with Hendrickson. They know if they're going to up their offer. They know if they're going to say "take the offer that's on the table or play out this season." They know if they're going to consider trading him before the regular season starts.

Make a decision.

If they want to pay him and sign him to a long-term deal, then open up the lines of communication and give a clear pre-training camp deadline for a contract to get done.

Historically, the Bengals negotiate with players during training camp. Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and A.J. Green are relatively recent examples.

Don't let this get to training camp. Don't let uncertainty surrounding Hendrickson's future distract the team—and it will be a distraction.

Say it out loud: The Bengals haven't signed their best player on defense, even though he spent all offseason asking for a new contract and Cincinnati is hoping their new defensive staff can get far more out of a unit that has a lot of the same faces on it. They also didn't trade him and get assets for him before free agency or the draft.

Not resolving the Hendrickson issue before training camp is putting unnecessary stress on a unit and a team that needs to start fast and be much better on defense this season.

If it were up to me, I would've already paid Hendrickson. A two-year, $66 million extension that has enough guaranteed money to ensure he'll be on the roster over the next three seasons seems reasonable. The deal would include a pay bump this year as well.

Hendrickson is probably looking for a three-year contract extension, but giving him two years could work, especially with guarantees beyond the 2025 season.

If the Bengals aren't willing to do that, then they probably should've traded the NFL sack leader before free agency started in March.

They didn't, but that doesn't mean they should dismiss the idea all together. If they truly don't want to pay Hendrickson, then they should seriously consider trading him.

While it probably won't make the 2025 team better from a talent perspective, it would alleviate any distractions and drama that could come with Hendrickson being on the roster, but not having a new deal during training camp or after the regular season starts.

If the Bengals want to pay Hendrickson, then they should do it. If they're hesitant because of his age or any other reason, then they should make the decision to move him.

If they don't want to trade him and don't want to pay him, then it's going to be a long summer of drama that could impact training camp, the start of the regular season and beyond.

All of it is avoidable and one thing is crystal clear: It's time for the Bengals to make a decision.

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