Duke Tobin Gives Honest Answer About Possible Trey Hendrickson Tag and Trade

The Cincinnati Bengals Executive Wasn't Shy About the Challenges Involved.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) talks with director of player personnel Duke Tobin before the first quarter of the NFL Preseason Week 2 game between the Washington Commanders and the Cincinnati Bengals at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

INDIANAPOLIS — Duke Tobin spoke with the media for 18 minutes at the podium on Tuesday. He followed that up by spending another 36 minutes with the local beat writers in an audio-only session without any cameras.

If you are expecting the Bengals to place the franchise tag on Hendrickson, think again,

No, Tobin didn't come out and say the Bengals wouldn't do that, but he explained how complicated a move like that could be.

The Tag-and-Trade Question

Sep 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates the win after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

I asked Tobin about the complexities of a tag-and-trade. Of course, he knew who I was talking about.

"How complicated, complex would any tag and trade be?" I asked. "It doesn't have to be about a specific player. Obviously you know who I'm asking about."

The whole room laughed, so I made it clear who I was referring to: "How hard is it, if you're going to tag Tycen Anderson to get a tag and trade?"

More laugher ensued and then Tobin delivered a revealing answer.

"All trades are difficult," Tobin said. "You've got to find a partner. You have to have some cooperation with your players that you're talking about this with. Trades can be complicated. That hypothetical scenario would be very complicated."

Deadline Approaching

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cincinnati Bengals general manager Duke Tobin speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Bengals have until Tuesday, March 3 to use the franchise tag on Hendrickson. If they don't, then he'll become a free agent for the first time in five seasons. The Bengals signed him in 2021 after his rookie contract with the Saints ran out. He's arguably the best free agent signing in team history.

It's worth noting that Tobin didn't say they wouldn't tag Hendrickson. He didn't completely dismiss the idea.

"I don't throw anything off on or off the table with Trey, and we're excited about attacking this offseason," Tobin said during his 17-minute media session at the podium. "We have resources to attack the offseason in a big way, and we want to do that in terms of how we're going to do that, how we're going to allocate our resources. You know, who is going to be on our own free agents, what are our intentions there? I'm not going to get into that right here. It's just not the time to announce that to the rest of the league."

Regardless, all signs point to Hendrickson becoming a free agent next month. If a tag and trade is complicated and the Bengals feel like they have true resources to add crucial talent to their team in free agency, then they may be comfortable with letting the former All-Pro defensive end leave next month.

Check out the clip of Tobin and my question below: