The Cincinnati Bengals are currently in the midst of a highly important offseason for the future direction of the franchise. The Bengals had a wildly disappointing 2025 season, headlined by an injury to Joe Burrow as well as continued struggles for the Cincinnati defense.
The best player on that side of the ball for the Bengals is star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, with whom the team came to terms on a temporary contract solution prior to last season.
Now, more is coming to light on what could be on the horizon between the two sides amid rumors of a departure.
“Our understanding is that the Bengals are still considering using the franchise tag. Now, could it be a tag and trade possibility? Perhaps. It sounds like all options are on the table for Hendrickson right now, but it is not a foregone conclusion that his time in Cincinnati is over,” reported NFL insider Mike Garafolo, per Ian Rapoport on X, formerly Twitter.
Hendrickson had another productive year in 2025, but even with him in the lineup, the Bengals were still among the worst defensive units in the NFL, making it a big question whether the team should commit heavy resources to him, or look to use those assets to try to build a more well-roudned defensive team.
If Joe Burrow is able to stay healthy (which is a major if), there is little question about the viability of the Bengals' offense, which is headlined by star wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. However, the Bengals' defensive regression is becoming impossible to ignore, and if they don't find a way to get that fixed this offseason, they could be looking at a fourth straight season of missing the playoffs in 2026.
In any case, clearly, there is much to sort out on the Hendrickson front before next season gets underway.
