[Trending News] Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson says 'nowhere I'd rather be' than Cincinnati amid trade request

Hendrickson is due to make $16 million in 2025, the final year of his contract. With Myles Garrett blasting past the highest-paid non-QB mark with his $40 million-per-year extension, Hendrickson, the NFL’s reigning sack leader, wants to be paid closer to the top of the market.

News of the Bengals granting Hendrickson permission to seek a trade came out after Maxx Crosby’s $35.5 million per-year new deal was struck. The timing shouldn’t be considered a coincidence, particularly after the comments of the director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Hendrickson has sought a raise for more than a year, and with other pass rushers getting green, he’s out to cash in this offseason.

“I wouldn’t call it frustrating,” Hendrickson said. “It gives me an opportunity to prove my worth every season.”

With the Bengals needing to make Chase the highest-paid receiver in the NFL and attempting to ink Higgins long-term, the team could view Hendrickson as a luxury they can’t afford. As Tobin said in January, they can’t pay everyone.