NFL Insider: Trey Hendrickson Waiting to See if Bengals Will Use Franchise Tag

The Bengals have until 4 p.m. ET to tag Trey Hendrickson.

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

CINCINNATI — The Bengals have until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday afternoon to use the franchise tag on Trey Hendrickson. The former NFL sack leader is scheduled to become a free agent next week if Cincinnati doesn't use the tag.

Hendrickson would make $30.2 million on the franchise tag this season. It sounds like the star pass rusher isn't sure if the Bengals will use the tag and that the team has at least talked with other teams about a possible trade.

Insider Update

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

ESPN's Adam Schefter shared the latest on Hendrickson and the possibility of a tag and trade scenario.

"He is waiting to see whether or not the Bengals place the franchise tag on him today. They have not communicated that to him. He's waiting to hear. There haven't been any conversations," Schefter said. "Trey Hendrickson sitting back in Florida, waiting to hear one way or another, what the Bengals want to do with him. I think the Bengals have checked around the league with the idea to see if teams would be interested in trading for Trey Hendrickson, in which case they would tag him and tag him to trade him. But I don't think that they've sensed a lot of interest in trading for Trey Hendrickson that way. So they have to make the decision about what to do today by four o'clock. My guess, and it's a guess because you don't know what the Bengals, is he doesn't get tagged and he's allowed to leave as a free agent. But I know the Bengals have made calls about the tag and trade option. And I don't think they've heard exactly what they would have wanted."

Teams are certainly going to be interested in Hendrickson, but let's be honest. If a tag and trade scenario was going to come together it almost certainly would've happened last week at the NFL combine.

That doesn't mean a deal would've gotten done in Indianapolis, but a framwork would've been in place. Trade talks didn't get close to that point last week at the combine.

Watch the clip of Schefter here.

Complicated Trade

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

Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin acknowledged that any tag and trade would be complex

"All trades are difficult," Tobin said last week at the NFL combine. "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."

Tobin didn't rule it out, but it always appeared to be a longshot. Don't be surprised when the Bengals pass on the tag and allow Hendrickson to sign elsewhere in free agency.