B.J. Hill knows where teammate Trey Hendrickson wants to end up, and the answer may come as a surprise.

Hendrickson has been granted permission to seek a trade by the Cincinnati Bengals, but that doesn’t mean he wants to leave. Hill says he knows Hendrickson’s preference is to remain in Cincinnati.

Hill joined the Bengals in 2021, the same year the team signed Hendrickson. The defensive tackle knows his teammate well and claims he wants to stay in town.

The 30-year-old Hendrickson was named first-team All-Pro in 2024 after leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks. It was the second season in a row the defensive end totaled 17.5 sacks. He has had 13.5 or more in every season but one since 2020. He is one of the NFL’s best defensive players and has one year left on his contract that carries a cap hit of $18.66 million.

Hendrickson wants a long-term deal for a lot of money, but the Bengals are also working to give Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins new contracts. He may want to stay in Cincinnati, but the money simply may not be there.

For his part, Hill re-signed with the Bengals this week on a three-year, $33 million contract that included $16 million in guaranteed money.