Analyst shares 'most likely outcome' for Bengals, Trey Hendrickson contract standoff

Earlier in the summer, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suggested he was confident the club would ultimately sign veteran pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson to a contract extension before Cincinnati's Week 1 game at the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 7.

For an article published on Monday morning, Ben Solak of ESPN shared what he believes to be the "most likely outcome" for the Hendrickson-Bengals contract standoff that has continued into the final week of August. 

"The Bengals will announce a three-year extension with Hendrickson worth $38M per year with over $60M in new guarantees on Sept. 3," Solak predicted. 

Hendrickson is in the final year of his existing contract, but he and the Bengals reportedly "are in close agreement on the total average annual salary and the length of" a possible extension. That said, the two sides haven't yet come to an agreement regarding the guaranteed money attached to a deal. 

The StatMuse website shows that no player has accumulated more regular-season sacks than Hendrickson (35), who turns 31 years old this coming December, since the start of the 2023 campaign. This past March, a new Las Vegas Raiders regime handed defensive star Maxx Crosby a three-year, $106.5M contract extension that reportedly included $91.5M guaranteed. More recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers gave T.J. Watt a three-year, $123M deal that included $108M guaranteed ahead of training camp. 

There's no indication any team would sign Hendrickson to a deal in the ballpark of the four-year, $160M extension that included $123.5M guaranteed that Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns signed shortly after he went public with a trade request. Back on Aug. 18, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that "Cincinnati has told interested teams it is looking for a young defensive player and a future first-round pick in a trade package" for Hendrickson.

Solak mentioned that he is not convinced other teams will meet the Bengals' asking price for Hendrickson, "with the season around the corner and plenty of other possibilities to spend their future money on." Meanwhile, the Bengals made some win-now moves when they signed wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, wideout Tee Higgins and tight end Mike Gesicki to new deals earlier in the offseason. 

Trading Hendrickson for a future draft asset doesn't make much sense for a team that's looking to return to the playoffs coming off a 9-8 campaign. As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportbook had the 2025 Bengals at -140 betting odds to qualify for the postseason. 

Such forecasts suggest Solak isn't the only noteworthy member of the NFL community who believes Hendrickson will feature for the Bengals at Cleveland's Huntington Bank Field on the first Sunday of September.