Trey Hendrickson may sit out 2025 NFL season amid contract standoff with Bengals: Report

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson is one of the best players in the NFL. However, he is not being treated like it by the Bengals front office this offseason.

After leading the National Football League in sacks in 2024, Hendrickson is in the middle of a major contract dispute with the Bengals organization. Hendrickson wants a long-term contract from Cincinnati for big money, however, the team has been unwilling to extend him at this time.

As a result, ESPN NFL insiders Jeremy Fowler and Ben Baby revealed in an article that there is a belief that Hendrickson will hold out in 2025 if he does not receive a new contract by the start of the campaign. The article was posted on ESPN on May 29 and can be found using the following link.

"If no deal occurs, I've spoken to several people who believe Hendrickson very well might follow through on his promise to miss games or even the season. 'He's extremely dug in,' a source said. -- Fowler." the article stated.

Hendrickson had an amazing 2024 season and has been one of the most consistent defensive players over the past five NFL seasons. He has 70.5 sacks and 12 forced fumbles over his past five seasons, a truly remarkable stat line.

What will Trey Hendrickson's next contract look like?

It is clear that Hendrickson wants to be paid amongst the very best defensive players in the National Football League.

According to the popular contract and sports financial company 'Spotrac', Hendrickson's current market value is a two year deal worth $62,931,710 ($31.5 million per season). Should he receive this contract, Hendrickson will be in the same financial category as San Francisco 49ers Nick Bosa, Cleveland Browns Myles Garrett, Las Vegas Raiders Maxx Crosby, and Houston Texans Danielle Hunter.

Although that is his current market value, it appears as though Cincinnati is not looking to pay their star defensive player Hendrickson his projected worth. With the 2025 NFL season quickly approaching, the ball is in Cincinnati's court to figure out a new contract with Hendrickson or trade him. Either way, it sounds as though he is willing to sit out this year if his demands are not met.