There is a lot to look forward to in the Cincinnati Bengals system. Joe Burrow is coming back healthy in the next season while Ja'Marr Chase is locked up with the squad for the foreseeable future. This means that Coach Zac Taylor has the personnel to make another run at the Super Bowl and potentially bust the Kansas City Chiefs dynasty. However, the same thing cannot be said for their defensive unit. Trey Hendrickson, who just got a Pro Bowl nod, has requested a trade.
The three-time Pro Bowl selection for the Bengals has hit the trade market. Trey Hendrickson has largely made the decision due to wanting to find more long-term security, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Zac Taylor and the Bengals' front office will only have him notch $15 million in the coming season and that might not be enough for him.
The twist is that the Bengals are not at all interested in trading away Trey Hendrickson. After all, they just got another trade demand from one of Joe Burrow's most lethal weapons in Tee Higgins. Letting go of their defensive anchor will surely deal a blow to their chances of continuity and making a deep postseason run.
Hendrickson has signified his willingness to come back to the Bengals for 2024. This could mean that the front office has a shot at mending their relationship with him such that he stays with the team until the end of his contract in 2025. If he does choose to leave, a lot of teams might be interested in getting a lethal defensive presence. So, a hefty trade package could be coming the Bengals' way.
What are the Bengals losing?
The short answer? A foundational piece to what could be a dynasty-busting squad. Trey Hendrickson is still constantly improving on defense while Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Burrow do the same on offense. Just last season, he notched his highest total in sacks. Hendrickson recorded 28 solo tackles with 15 of them being assisted. His insane acumen for taking players down also reached a new high in 2023-24. This prompted him to execute 16 tackles for loss which was a big leap from the six he had in the previous year.
Hendrickson's eyes are always locked in and are eager to take quarterbacks down too. He hit the opposing signal caller 25 times to prevent them from getting any sort of offensive momentum. If that was not enough, he would force him the the ground with the ball still in his hands. This violent nature of Hendrickson's game also helped him reach his peak in sacks so far. Those 17.5 sacks were the most that he has ever produced in a single season.
Among all of these, his greatest contribution to Zac Taylor's Bengals has to be availability. Hendrickson did not miss a single game and started all 17 of the team's matchups back in the 2023-24 season. He has also only failed to start twice for the Bengals and the last time that happened was when he was freshly acquired from the New Orleans Saints in 2021.
If this was truly the end of his tenure with the Bengals, it was a great run.
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