NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the Bengals “are still considering” using the franchise tag on Trey Hendrickson.

08 February 2026

Does this mean that Hendrickson will be on the Bengals’ roster in 2026? Garafolo answered that question by saying, “maybe, maybe not,” noting that a tag-and-trade scenario may be the goal. The two sides slapped a band-aid on Hendrickson’s offseason trade request last year by agreeing to a one-year deal that gave Hendrickson a $14 million raise for the 2025 season. Unfortunately, a core muscle injury, apparently suffered in Week 6, limited him to just seven games played. Hopefully, things will be resolved quickly.