The Trey Hendrickson era in Cincinnati is over as the team opted not to place the franchise tag on him by the Tuesday, March 3 deadline at 4 p.m.
By not placing the franchise tag on Hendrickson, the Bengals will let Hendrickson hit the market when the legal tampering period of free agency begins on Monday, March 9.
Hendrickson will no longer be under contract with the Bengals when the new league year begins next week. He will be a free agent for the first time since 2021.
How the Bengals and Trey Hendrickson got to this point
After failing to reach a long-term extension with Hendrickson ahead of the 2025 season, this was the most likely scenario. Hendrickson wanted another long-term commitment from the Bengals, and the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on what it would look like.
For the past two years, the relationship between the Bengals and Hendrickson has been strained. Contract negotiations have been contentious behind the scenes, and Hendrickson publicly shared his displeasure with the way the organization, including head coach Zac Taylor, handled the process last May.
The Bengals had their reasons for not wanting to commit to Hendrickson. His age and the fear of being financially tied to a player over the age of 30 played a role in their decision. Typically, the Bengals stay away from guaranteeing any money after one year to players over 30.
Hendrickson is 31 years old and will be 32 in December − he wanted a multi-year commitment from the Bengals.
Why didn’t the Bengals place the franchise tag on Trey Hendrickson?
The Bengals had the option to place the franchise tag on Hendrickson with the intention of trading him. It became too complicated for several reasons.
The Bengals would have liked to find a trade partner for Hendrickson to ensure they received something in exchange for their star defensive player, but were unable to find a suitor.
Hendrickson is coming off a season in which he played just seven games before undergoing core muscle surgery, which hurt the Bengals’ chances of finding a trade partner.
The franchise tag number for Hendrickson would have been $30.2 million – his market is expected to be below that.
Finding a trade partner willing to pay Hendrickson over his expected market value while considering his age and recent injury was a hard sell.
Teams essentially knew they wouldn’t have to give up draft picks to sign Hendrickson in free agency.
Hendrickson will be in demand by NFL teams who are looking to bolster their pass rush as he’s one of the best edge rushers in the NFL when he’s on the field. Hendrickson will get a fresh start with another team, and the Bengals won’t have all of their money tied up in one defensive player.
This will allow the Bengals to be more active in free agency as they’ll be in pursuit of multiple players on defense.
Will the Bengals receive a compensatory draft pick?
Depending on how many players the Bengals sign in free agency, the team could still receive a compensatory draft pick in 2027 from Hendrickson.
Compensatory (extra) draft picks are awarded to teams that lose more or better free agents than they sign in a given year. The system was created to help ensure parity in the NFL.
The Bengals won’t know if they qualify for a compensatory draft pick from Hendrickson until after they finish signing players in free agency. Given the Bengals’ need for more talent on defense and the amount of cap space ($47 million) available, they are expected to be big spenders.
In five seasons and 72 games with the Bengals, Hendrickson logged 61 sacks, was a four-time Pro Bowler, and ranks in the franchise’s top 5 sack leader category.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals don’t tag DE Trey Hendrickson. Here’s what’s next
Reporting by Kelsey Conway, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
