Cincinnati Bengals star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson has left the game vs. the Green Bay Packers.
Hendrickson, who recorded two sacks a week ago vs. the Detroit Lions, went “to the locker room early with a member of the Bengals training staff who is holding his helmet,” according to the Cincinnati Enquirer's Kelsey Conway.
The Bengals subsequently posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Hendrickson suffered an unspecified back injury. He was later ruled out for the rest of the game, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
If it is a serious injury, it would not only be a big blow to Cincinnati, which is trying to snap a three-game losing streak and stay afloat while Joe Burrow is recovering from surgery to address turf toe, but it also could have massive implications for Hendrickson himself.
All throughout the offseason, Hendrickson made it clear that he wanted a new deal with the Bengals, and he engaged in one of the longest holdouts in the league as a result. While he and Cincinnati eventually came to an agreement on a one-year $29 million deal, the soon-to-be-31-year-old has no deal in place past this season and thus could miss out on millions if the injury affects performance or severely limits his availability.
Hendrickson had been floated as a potential midseason trade target, particularly for the San Francisco 49ers, who will be without Nick Bosa for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL.
The Bengals are currently down 17-7 in the second half against the Packers, and Hendrickson had two tackles in the game at the time of his departure.
