The Cincinnati Bengals were able to placate defensive end Trey Hendrickson by increasing his 2025 salary by $14 million, but they could not come to a long-term agreement with the superstar pass rusher.
That means the Bengals could ultimately end up losing Hendrickson to free agency next March, which obviously creates a significant need for Cincinnati in the trenches.
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Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department has already linked the Bengals to a potential replacement, naming Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker as a possibility.
“The Bengals resolved Trey Hendrickson’s contract dispute by giving him a much bigger pile of cash in 2025. They didn’t commit to the 30-year-old beyond the season, though,” Bleacher Report wrote. “That could open the door for a first-round edge prospect for the second year in a row. T.J. Parker and Reuben Bain Jr. are the highest-rated on our big board and Cincinnati should love how well-rounded their games are.”
Parker arrived at Clemson in 2023 and flashed considerable potential right off the bat, logging 32 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks during his freshman campaign. He followed that up by racking up 57 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2024.
The 6-foot-3, 265-pound junior has already posted five tackles and a sack through two games this season, so we will see if he is able to put forth another dominant showing before entering the NFL Draft next spring.
Meanwhile, Hendrickson is now entering his fifth season with the Bengals after spending the first four years of his career with the New Orleans Saints. He has rattled off 17.5 sacks in back-to-back campaigns, finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last year.
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The problem is that Hendrickson is now 30 years old, so Cincinnati is understandably hesitant to hand him a lucrative multi-year contract.
We will see what the four-time Pro Bowler does for an encore this fall.
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