Bengals' Trey Hendrickson has massive $10 million gap in free agent contract talks

The Cincinnati Bengals have made a couple of moves so far this offseason, bringing in Bryan Cook at safety and Boye Mafe at edge rusher.

Mafe replaces the departing Trey Hendrickson, who's surely going to sign elsewhere this offseason. But, while it's one day, his free agency isn't going well.

According to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, there is a significant gap in contract talks between Hendrickson and interested teams in free agency. The gap is so large that there's been a $10 million difference in contract talks this offseason.

Trey Hendrickson's contract talks have $10M gap

"As of this morning, there were teams I spoke with who said the gap between what he wanted and what they were willing to pay was close to $10M per year," Jones reports.

This is a very significant report for Hendrickson, the Bengals, and teams all around the NFL. Hendrickson, the top remaining pass rusher on the open market, is in a serious contract impasse with teams interested in signing him.

With Jaelan Phillips signing a $120 million four-year deal with the Carolina Panthers, and Odafe Oweh agreeing to a $100 million deal with the Washington Commanders for four years, Hendrickson's demands are likely trying to beat both figures.

While he might not be able to land a four-year or even three-year deal, Hendrickson could still land a solid contract for the next few seasons.

More: Trey Hendrickson projected to land $105 million, three-year deal in free agency

But, with this reporting a $10 million gap, Hendrickson is likely asking for at least $30 million per-year. Teams around the NFL aren't wanting to spend so much on Hendrickson, with offers potentially $10 million less than his demands.

While Hendrickson is an All-Pro pass rusher who had back-to-back seasons with 17.5 sacks, his injury-shortened seven-game season in 2025 isn't helping him land this big deal.

He's 32 years old, and while he's a good player, there are reasonable concerns about how much to spend on such a veteran coming off injury.

This might be a long offseason for Hendrickson, especially if he doesn't come off his lofty asking price, which might be $10 million more than what teams are willing to spend.

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