This offseason has pretty much been about star players asking for deserving pay. Be it Terry McLaurin or the Cincinnati Bengals’ star DE Trey Hendrickson. Just like the former, Hendrickson also didn’t back down. After all, he was coming off a season with a league-high 17.5 sacks. Eventually, the franchise had to bend, and the four-time Pro Bowler was rewarded with an eight-figure contract, bringing his annual compensation up $30 million. But you know, at one point, things took quite a bitter turn, and it didn’t resolve until the deal was finalized. 

Let’s talk about his contract first. It’s the tale that had its beginning in 2023, almost immediately after he signed a four-year contract extension worth $60 million. When his demands fell on deaf ears with the front office, he ultimately requested a trade in 2024. And boy, was it dramatic. Still, nothing changed. His demand became louder in 2025 as he entered the final year of his contract with an expected salary of $15.8 million. Things could take another turn if the Bengals were to enter any trade offers. So, amidst all the back-and-forth, the franchise and Hendrickson reached a deal, raising his pay by $14 million. 

But before the two parties agreed to a pay raise, the star edge rusher unfollowed the Bengals’ official IG account and also removed his profile picture. It’s not clear whether he intended for anyone to find out, but these things hardly escape fans’ eyes. So guess what’s the first thing he did after agreeing to the $14 million raise? The star DE followed them back. Next? He set his profile picture to a shot of himself facing away from the camera, striking a pose with one hand raised toward the sky. And that’s not all. 

Striking a similar pose, he shared his first post after ending the negotiation chaos with Cincinnati with a simple but deep caption, “Matthew 6:34,” along with a tiger emoji. Those unfamiliar with the meaning, it’s a verse from the book of Matthew—“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” For someone coming off another high-impact season, it felt like a fitting choice. 

Hendrickson may have had mixed feelings for the Bengals, and it was all justified. While he awaited a deserving number despite racking up 35 sacks in the past two seasons, the front office was cradling Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase with lucrative extensions. Even last season, when the Bengals’ defense was blamed for their disastrous season, Hendrickson’s name was taken as an exception.

When he finally concluded his holdout and got back on his feet for the training camp, his stance on the pay he deserved didn’t change. “Recognition’s not something I’m chasing… Security is something that I value and [telling] my wife where we’re going to play,” he told Rutledge. However, instead of an extension, they offered him a raise. But now the bigger question remains: What about the years beyond 2025?

Bengals are hesitant about Trey Hendrickson’s future

The Bengals are all set for their 2025 season campaign. And based on Hendrickson’s recent social media activities, he seems satisfied, too. But what about next year, when he enters the free agency market? Of course, the Bengals know his value, but the free agency might not be too welcoming considering his age factor above 30. He’s turning 32 in a few months.

Well, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, “The Bengals’ front office had no interest in 2026 Trey Hendrickson. Period.” The thing that the front office appears to be focusing on is the fact that despite having a defensive talent like Hendrickson, who led the league in sacks, couldn’t save the defensive line from collapsing. So what’s the point?

While many consider the raise a win for the four-time Pro Bowler, The Athletic’s beat reporter, Paul Dehner, drew a stark picture of the contrary. The 2025 season is, of course, sorted. However, he still doesn’t have a future guaranteed as he wanted. And from the likes of it, an extension might not take place at all. An executive even remarked, “Took six months to lead here?” Well, that says it all. The road ahead (free agency, as most likely) doesn’t appear very smooth for him. Dehner believes Hendrickson has “been stuck since the day he signed that one-year extension back in 2023. He’ll have regrets about that for years, as it kept him from hitting the open market before last season. It handed all the leverage over to the Bengals here.” So they used it to their advantage.

Not only has the franchise been worried about the defensive end’s impact on the defensive line, but also his increasing age and potential production drop in the near future. So the least they could do was give him a raise, since he has been circling the front office about it for two years. With the ball in their court, now they don’t have to commit to him beyond 2025. And any possibility for future extension appears to be wearing thin. For now, he’s set to join his teammates for practice with less than a fortnight left to start the 2025 season.