Some members of the NFL community were surprised that the first day of the “legal tampering” portion of free agency came and went without Cincinnati Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson agreeing to a deal with a new team.
On Tuesday, NFL insider Armando Salguero of OutKick addressed a free-agency journey that may not be going as Hendrickson expected after the Bengals chose not to retain his rights via the franchise tag.
What Trey Hendrickson reportedly wants to earn via next contract
“Hendrickson expects to get a deal that averages north of $30M per season,” Salguero wrote. “Eight pass-rushers currently have deals that average $30M per season or more, and Hendrickson’s representation believes their client should join that group. Jaelan Phillips joined that group on Monday when he agreed with the Carolina Panthers to a four-year deal worth $120M.”
Phillips will turn 27 years old in May, while Hendrickson turned 31 years old this past December. Hendrickson recorded the league’s most regular-season sacks (35) from the start of the 2023 season through the 2024 campaign, but he more recently played in just seven games this past season before he needed core surgery in December.
Hendrickson reportedly would love to play for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers side that could use some help at his position. The Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams were among the other teams previously linked with the veteran, who had to accept a revised deal that gave him a raise and also kept him in a contract year last summer.
Perhaps Hendrickson is simply being patient and considering all his options before he settles on picking his next NFL home. Salguero suggested something else may be going on.
NFL insiders curious about Trey Hendrickson situation?
“Hendrickson still being on the market after one day is a curiosity,” Salguero added. “If that extends to the start of the league year on Wednesday, that would be another matter. That would be a suggestion the market is indeed crashing for Trey Hendrickson.”
The new league year opens at 4 p.m. ET on March 11. One would think Hendrickson would be scooped up before then, but it’s also possible that the market for his services isn’t as robust as he hoped.