Trey Hendrickson is signed and ready to go for the Cincinnati Bengals, but the 2026 offseason could have some interesting moments between the two sides, much like 2025.
Although Hendrickson signed a deal, which gave him a massive pay raise this season as part of a contract restructuring, Hendrickson will be a free agent next offseason — unless the Bengals don't want him to be.
Most players in the NFL, once they hit their 30s, don't have to worry about the franchise tag too much. Oftentimes, that is a tool used to retain players in their mid-to-late-20s as they reach their prime, but in Hendrickson's case, his restructured deal does not have a no-tag clause, which opens the proverbial door for Cincinnati to place the franchise tag on Hendrickson in 2026.
“A few notes on Trey Hendrickson’s revised contract,” according to Field Yates on X, formerly Twitter:
“- For cap purposes, the deal includes one void year
– Hendrickson’s cap number for this year increased by $3M
– The deal does not include a no tag clause. It would be costly, but the Bengals do have the right to tag him”
In response to Yates' post, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said that if the Bengals were to tag Hendrickson next year, it would cost them $34.8 million. In comparison, Hendrickson's cap hit is $31.7 million this season, which is the 14th-highest cap hit of any player in the NFL this year and only behind the Las Vegas Raiders' Maxx Crosby among defensive players. A $34.8 million cap hit in 2026 would, as it currently stands, be about 23rd among all players and the fifth-highest for a defensive player.
Still, it is expected that Cincinnati will not tag Hendrickson, despite its ability to do so. The Bengals, long criticized for being one of the ‘cheapest' teams in the NFL, already have more than $100 million of their cap tied up between Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, and Ja'Marr Chase in 2026, all of whom signed long-term extensions with the team over the past few years.
As a result, Hendrickson, who turns 31 in December, will likely not be as massive a priority as he has been this year come 2026, especially with the price tag he may be able to fetch in free agency.
The Bengals open the NFL season on Sept. 7 vs. the Cleveland Browns.
