After winning the first two games of the season, the Cincinnati Bengals’ season went sideways. With starting quarterback Joe Burrow sidelined with a turf toe injury, the Bengals lost eight of their next nine games. By the time Burrow returned, the team was still mathematically alive, but with slim playoff chances.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bengals’ injury luck was not much better, as All-Pro pass rusher Trey Hendrickson missed 10 games this season. As a result, the Bengals had the third-worst scoring defense in the NFL. However, Hendrickson could have played his last snap as a member of the Bengals as he is set to become a free agent. A new article by CBS Sports seemingly presents the worst-case scenario for Bengals fans.
Cincinnati Bengals Predicted to Lose Hendrickson
As the NFL season comes to an end, CBS Sports decided to rank the Top 50 upcoming free agents. No. 2 is a familiar face as he is Cincinnati’s own Trey Hendrickson. CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell wrote, “Hendrickson and the Bengals likely should have parted ways last offseason after failed contract extension talks following him producing 17.5 sacks in both 2023 and 2024 (led the league in 2024), but the divorce is likely happening now. He underwent core muscle surgery that cut his 2025 season short after seven games, but he’s been one of the best pass rushers in football since becoming a Bengal. Hendrickson is only the fifth player since sacks became an official, individually tracked statistic in 1982 to produce 17-plus sacks in consecutive seasons.”
As a follow-up to their Top 50 free agents list, they predicted where each of them might land. And if losing Hendrickson is already a tough pill to swallow, losing him to the Ravens is perhaps the worst-case scenario. CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles predicted Hendrickson would go to the Ravens . He wrote, “The Ravens finished 31st in sack rate, and they could lose many edge defenders in free agency. There’s a clear need here, and Hendrickson fits the Ravens’ win-now window.”
Pereles also mentioned the 49ers, Cowboys, and Vikings as potential suitors for Hendrickson. Bengals fans will likely prefer Hendrickson going to the NFC rather than remaining in the division. However, going to a high-profile team like the 49ers and Cowboys would potentially result in Hendrickson no longer being underrated on a national scale.
Trey Hendrickson’s Bengals Tenure
Hendrickson is already one of the best free-agent signings in Bengals history. After a breakout season in 2020 with the Saints, in which he totaled 13.5 sacks, the Bengals signed him to a four-year $60 million deal. Since then, Hendrickson has amassed 61 sacks, making him the sixth Bengals player with the most sacks in franchise history.
Unfortunately, after his four-year contract ended, the relationship has soured between both sides. The two sides managed to agree to a one-year deal worth $30 million. However, after playing in only seven games this season and having his lowest sack total since arriving in Cincinnati, it seems increasingly likely that he will depart.
