The Bengals did not place a franchise or transition tag on defensive end Trey Hendrickson, making him a pending free agent.
Hendrickson, 31, missed 10 games in 2025, with an abdominal injury, finishing with four sacks and eight quarterback hits. Hendrickson made four consecutive Pro Bowls from 2021-2024, leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024. He has 81 career sacks in 117 games with the Saints and Bengals.
My take: Is Hendrickson starting to break down or does he have something left? He was productive in his seven games last year, but he will be 32 when the 2026 season starts. Sounds like a one-year prove-it deal, or a two-year with the first fully guaranteed.
THE ASYLUM
Bengals move on from Hendrickson
The Bengals did not place a franchise or transition tag on defensive end Trey Hendrickson, making him a pending free agent.
Hendrickson, 31, missed 10 games in 2025, with an abdominal injury, finishing with four sacks and eight quarterback hits. Hendrickson made four consecutive Pro Bowls from 2021-2024, leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024. He has 81 career sacks in 117 games with the Saints and Bengals.
My take: Is Hendrickson starting to break down or does he have something left? He was productive in his seven games last year, but he will be 32 when the 2026 season starts. Sounds like a one-year prove-it deal, or a two-year with the first fully guaranteed.
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