The Cincinnati Bengals decided not to trade defensive end Trey Hendrickson before Tuesday's NFL Trade Deadline. It'll go down as a mistake, as chief decision-maker Duke Tobin should have tried to acquire NFL draft compensation in exchange for the productive pass rusher.
The Bengals did trade veteran inside linebacker Logan Wilson to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 seventh-round pick. Wilson, like Hendrickson, had previously requested a trade. The return was essentially irrelevant, and the Bengals would have gotten significantly more for Hendrickson.
The 3-6 Bengals do not appear postseason-bound. There was a belief that quarterback Joe Flacco would keep them in contention until Joe Burrow returns from injury. That dream essentially evaporated following Sunday's 47-42 loss to the Chicago Bears. The Bengals' defense is so historically bad that they wasted a 42-point, 470-yard, four-touchdown performance from Flacco.
The #Bengals definitely listened on DE Trey Hendrickson following back-to-back losses and gave the impression they’d consider a deal that didn’t require a first-round pick — but ultimately, they decided not to move him. pic.twitter.com/23ZnBSBwUQ
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) November 5, 2025
The 31-year-old Hendrickson is on an expiring contract. He took part in a contract-related standoff with the Bengals all offseason long, reiterating his interest in being traded on numerous occasions. The two sides eventually settled on a contract restructure that increased Hendrickson's 2025 salary by $14 million, but they did not extend the agreement for any additional years.
The Bengals were incredibly disinterested in signing the aging Hendrickson to a multi-year extension. There's little reason to believe Tobin will change his stance this coming offseason. Hendrickson will likely sign elsewhere in free agency. The Bengals may receive a compensatory selection for his departure, but indications are that they received more fruitful offers at the deadline.
After recording 17.5 sacks in consecutive seasons, Hendrickson has been off that pace this campaign. The former FAU standout has registered four sacks in seven appearances. Hendrickson has been sidelined with a hip injury, missing Sunday's defeat to the Bears.
Keeping Trey Hendrickson on the roster at this point is terrible roster management by the Bengals 😬 pic.twitter.com/Nh6RlWyzXm
— Underdog Fantasy - Josh & Hayden (@UDFootballShow) November 5, 2025
The Bengals could choose to apply the franchise tag to Hendrickson this offseason. That would guarantee Hendrickson an approximate salary of $26.5 million in 2026 without any wiggle-room to lower the cap number. The Bengals are currently projected to possess $54 million in effective cap space. Considering all the defensive upgrades they require this summer, guaranteeing about half of their projected flexibility to one player would be questionable.
Tobin desperately needs to retool this defense. They've now been embarrassing in back-to-back seasons under two different defensive coordinators, Lou Anarumo and Al Golden. Personnel, not coaching, is responsible for the struggles.
The Bengals are allowing the most points (33.3) and yards (426.6) per game in the NFL. They're terrible with Hendrickson, and they would've been terrible without him. Trading Hendrickson would have provided Tobin with the additional draft capital required to begin injecting talent and youth into Zac Taylor's defense.
The high-priced contracts signed by Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins leave little money and margin for error on defense. The Bengals have to build the defense through the draft by taking advantage of opportunities to add talent on cost-controlled contracts. Trading Hendrickson, who may not be in Tobin's long-term plans, would have helped.