Trey Hendrickson's New Bengals Deal Different Than Other Star Edge Rushers'

CINCINNATI — The Trey Hendrickson saga is over, but it comes with a catch.

Cincinnati isn't extending his contract like it did with its star wide receivers, Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase. Hendrickson is reportedly inking a $14 million raise to $30 million in cash this season, with free agency looming.

T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, and Danielle Hunter were the other star edge rushers to shake up the market this offseason, and all three are now tied to their teams for at least the next two seasons.

Hendrickson had reportedly searched for multiple guaranteed seasons on the final agreement, but that won't be happening in Cincinnati as of now. No reports have surfaced of any no-tag clause in his raise that forbids Cincinnati from franchise tagging him after another possible great season.

We could run all of this back starting next March, when the now 30-year-old would be a roughly $39 million cap hit on the franchise tag next season (prorated salary adds to final number). There is no viable solution on the roster right now unless the young edge rushers drafted over the last four years start to really pop. ESPN's Dan Graziano did note the deal ends after Hendrickson's ninth season, netting Cincinnati a possible third or fourth-round compensatory pick.

A multi-year deal takes him past Year 10, when he would only bring back a fifth-round pick at best after inking a new deal elsewhere.

"I'm incredibly blessed to be in the NFL and I'm excited to be a Bengal, right?" Hendrickson said in April. "Last year and the year before, I've been talking about long-term contract, guaranteed money, things like that, and it was discussed with me in a meeting, which I'm very fortunate to have had with my agent, that we would get something done this year."

That hasn't happened, but the 2025 solution is in place, and Cincinnati's defense just got a lot better with 13 days (and far fewer practices) to get him up to speed. Still, it got done in August, which hasn't been the case with the last few offseason-long contract disputes.

Hendrickson is now the fourth-highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL this season, $4 million behind San Francisco's Nick Bosa. Hendrickson has 323 pressures and 67 sacks in four seasons as a Bengal.

Check out more on the deal here.

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