Trey Hendrickson trade rumors: AFC West contenders emerge top target for All-Pro DE amid contract standoff with Bengals

Star defensive end Trey Hendrickson has been in an ongoing contractual dispute with the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason regarding a new long-term deal. Despite being one of the best players in the NFL for the past five seasons, Cincinnati appears unwilling to give Hendrickson both a new contract and a big pay raise.

Hendrickson is entering the final year of his contract with Cincinnati and is set to earn a cap hit of $18,666,668 in 2025. With various top defensive players signing new major deals this offseason, such as Myles Garrett in Cleveland and T.J. Watt in Pittsburgh, it makes sense why Hendrickson has held firm on his stance and belief that he should be earning more money in 2025.

With the situation still unclear only a few weeks away from the start of the new season, there has been a growing belief that the Bengals could be looking to trade Hendrickson to another team. One team being heavily rumored and confirmed by NFL analyst Hondo Carpenter of Sports Illustrated are the AFC West's Las Vegas Raiders.

In an exclusive article on August 20, Carpenter provided a quote by an unnamed NFL executive, one who highlighted how the Raiders could be a strong fit for Hendrickson. The article in full can be found using the following link.

"I have no doubt the Raiders are the frontrunners. Tom Brady and Mark Davis want to win now, and John (Spytek) has no fear when it comes to making bold moves. The kid (Hendrickson is 30), that move is the mentality of Pete Carroll; he's not afraid of anything that could improve the team." the executive said to Carpenter.

What is Trey Hendrickson's market value?

Hendrickson has been one of the most effective and elite defensive players in the league over the past few seasons. Hendrickson has back to back years with 17.5 sacks and even led the NFL in the important category last season.

Although Hendrickson is likely closer to the end of his career than the start, he is still one of the best players in the league and deserves to be paid as such. With the non-QB contract market increasing exponentially this offseason, it does not seem out of the realm of possibility that Hendrickson could reset the market again and become the highest paid non-QB in the league when he signs his new deal.

At this point, it appears as though Hendrickson will likely sign a contract between $35 and $40 million per season from either the Bengals or whichever team trades for his services.