Trey Hendrickson Projected to Leave Bengals for 3-Year, $105 Million Deal

The Bengals will likely lose Trey Hendrickson in free agency this offseason, but where will he end up?

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates as time winds down in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 1 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. The Bengals begin the season with a 17-16 win over the Browns. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Bengals and their fanbase have both likely accepted the fact that edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is going to leave the team in free agency this offseason.

While the saga dragged on and likely left a bad taste in a lot of fans' mouths, the Bengals have all the assets to move on from Hendrickson in a big way. They could land a star edge rusher in a trade or at pick No. 10 in the NFL draft. But what's next for Hendrickson?

Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano recently projected Hendrickson would sign a three-year, $105 million deal this offseason and suggested the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots could work as potential landing spot.

Trey Hendrickson linked to Colts, Patriots in free agency

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) is sacked by Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) during the second half at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"It will be interesting to see whether teams will look to heavily invest in a talented edge rusher on the wrong side of 30," Manzano wrote. "Also, Hendrickson, 31, only played in seven games in his ninth season due to injuries. But the numbers don’t lie. He’s still a dominant force when healthy.

"Hendrickson, who has 39 sacks combined over the past three seasons, could see a short-term deal from a Super Bowl contender that averages more than $35 million per season. Maybe something similar to what the Texans have done with 31-year-old Danielle Hunter, who’s on his second short-term deal with the team."

It would be quite surprising to see him land a deal for $35 million a year, as his value is likely closer to $30 million a year, but given the fact that he's the best edge rusher on the market, he's bound to set the market.

The Patriots have a lot of money and need to upgrade at edge rusher after the Seattle Seahawks crushed them in the Super Bowl due to a deadly pass rush. Hendrickson would be the perfect veteran option to add to an already talented defense.

The Colts are seemingly all-in at this point after trading two first round picks for Sauce Gardner last year. Going after Hendrickson would help continue to push them towards being a contender, but they still need to figure out their quarterback situation.

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