One of the biggest questions facing the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason is what they’re going to do with star defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who led the entire NFL in sacks in 2024. Hendrickson has one year remaining on his current contract, and he’s seeking a well-deserved extension this offseason.

Hendrickson’s desire for an extension stems back to last offseason, when he requested a trade due to his lack of long-term security. When his request wasn’t granted, Hendrickson put his head down, went to work and turned in a stellar season. Now, it’s time for the Bengals to pay the piper.

Trey Hendrickson said he’s had positive communication with the Bengals on the contract extension front

Hendrickson has made it clear that he wants to continue his career in Cincinnati, but if the team doesn’t want to commit to him beyond the 2025 season, he wants to move on. Luckily, it sounds like the two sides have had some positive communication on the extension front. However, Hendrickson understandably wants to see that communication translate into action.

“We’ve had multiple good conversations,” Hendrickson said during an appearance on the Ross Tucker podcast, via Sports Illustrated. “It’s just actions speak louder than words. That’s how I play my game as well, even though I am a trash talker.

“Moving forward I would like to remain a Bengal,” Hendrickson added. “Some things in life like long-term security, being able to tell my wife where we’re going to raise our son and not have to worry about playing a violent sport and shifting of where we’re going—that would be ideal.”

Earlier this month, Hendrickson seemingly called out Cincinnati’s front office for a lack of communication, so it’s good to see that the two sides are at least in contact now. Things appear to be moving in the right direction. Now, it’s about to two sides coming to an agreement.

Earlier this year, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin acknowledged that Hendrickson deserved a raise as a result his extremely productive play, but stopped short of guaranteeing that the two sides would agree on an extension.

“Has he earned a pay raise and a bump in an extension … he has,” Tobin said. “We’re cognizant of that, and we will give that to him. But whether we agree on what that looks like is, is what is to be determined. … We can’t have guys at the top of the payroll in every position, right?” Tobin said.  “We’ll do what we can. We’ll do what we feel is right, and we will try to get Trey re-signed.”

Hendrickson has demonstrated exactly how valuable he is to Cincinnati’s defense. He was their best player on that side of the ball in 2024, by far, and keeping him around should absolutely be a priority for the Bengals this offseason. Hopefully they can get a deal done.