As we recently surmised, the Maxx Crosby contract sparked the Bengals’ decision to let defensive end Trey Hendrickson seek a trade. The question is whether it will lead to a new team, or whether there will be a Matthew Stafford-style renewal of vows.
The Bengals, we’re told, have made an offer on a long-term deal to Hendrickson. They think it’s good enough. He doesn’t. And so they’re letting him find out what else is out there.
The problem is that the offers from other teams will necessarily be reduced by the fact that the new team will both have to pay Hendrickson and to satisfy the Bengals with trade compensation.
Crosby re-set the market at $35.5 million per year in new money. Hendrickson is due to make $16 million in 2025, after back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons.
He wants something far closer to Crosby’s deal. Our semi-informed guess is that the Bengals are in the range of $28 million per year.
Crosby is 27. Hendrickson is 30. Will a new team offer Hendrickson significantly more than the Bengals are offering? And will that prompt the Bengals to sweeten the pot (like the Rams did for Stafford) or will they trade him?
Hendrickson has said he wants to stay with the Bengals. And maybe he will. It all comes down to what he learns, now that he’s able to officially gauge the market for his services.
