NFL insider reveals why Bengals didn't trade Trey Hendrickson

The Cincinnati Bengals, after a brutal Week 9 loss to the Chicago Bears, were viewed as potential sellers. However, they made just one move on deadline day.

Logan Wilson was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a seventh-round pick. There were others in trade rumors, with Trey Hendrickson being the top option who could've been traded.

But Cincinnati held onto him, and for a clear reason. According to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Bengals' steep asking price kept teams, like the Dallas Cowboys, from swinging a trade for the All-Pro pass rusher.

Bengals' Trey Hendrickson not traded for one key reason

"And speaking of Cincinnati, the 3-6 Bengals had a compelling case to move Trye Hendrickson," Fowler reports. "Teams I spoke to believed Cincinnati wanted a second-rounder for him. Dallas, which pursued Hendrickson, considered that steep."

The Bengals were asking for a high draft pick in return for Hendrickson. There was some speculation that the Bengals were asking for a first-round pick, but with Hendrickson's status as a rental, that never would've happened.

A second-rounder was also, evidently, too rich for a team to part with. Despite having the chance to add an All-Pro pass rusher, teams didn't spend a second-rounder.

The Miami Dolphins traded Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-round pick, and while the Bengals were asking for a lot more than that for Hendrickson, that deal is likely closer to what the Bengals would've had to settle for.

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Cincinnati could've landed a bit more than just a third-rounder, but the Cowboys' unwillingness to part with a second-rounder limited the Bengals' ceiling.

But, with the Bengals' playoff odds looking slim, and the prospect of Hendrickson departing in the offseason likely, trading Hendrickson for a third-round pick and more would've been the right move.

He will likely land the Bengals a third-round compensatory pick if he walks. The Bengals could've landed a bit more if they traded him, but as Fowler reports, the Bengals were' willing to settle for less than a second-round pick.

Due to the high asking price, the Bengals weren't able to find a trade partner for Hendrickson. He'll play out the 2025 season on his one-year, $25 million deal, and hit free agency with a chance to land a massive extension.

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