The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. believes there’s “no realistic scenario” where EDGE Trey Hendrickson signs with the Bengals in 2026.

04 February 2026

Dehner bats around the idea of a franchise tag-and-trade scenario for Hendrickson, who he projects will get something close to the $29 million per season he made in 2025 despite missing most of the year with a core muscle injury that eventually required surgery. Ultimately, both sides are probably just tired of dealing with each other after back-to-back offseasons of contentious negotiations. We’d expect the Bengals to let Hendrickson — who should be considered one of the premiere free agents this offseason — walk.