The Cincinnati Bengals chose not to trade Trey Hendrickson, and the reason why is troubling for the organization.

Three Trey Hendrickson trade windows opened this year. The Bengals let the then-disgruntled defensive end shop around in March, as

That tells you the franchise still values Hendrickson, even if they’re afraid of a long-term deal. And assuming that no extension is reached this offseason, it’s very likely that the Bengals will place the franchise tag on Hendrickson. It would cost the Bengals about $36 million to tag Hendrickson in 2026.

CINCINNATI — The Bengals' defensive leaders echoed many of the same statements on Monday that they've said all season. Stones to turnover on this beach of defensive despair are running out as part of arguably the NFL's worst defense in the last 50 years, midway through the 2025 season.

Reports over the past few weeks have suggested that Cincinnati Bengals star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson won't be available for trade, but it appears the team might be changing that stance.