All signs, including recent reports, suggest the Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson will finally say goodbye this offseason.
But it’s never that simple for the Bengals and Hendrickson, right?
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First, there is a question need. Hendrickson and Joseph Osei are both scheduled to hit free agency, leaving the Bengals’ pass rush completely reliant on Myles Murphy and Seamus Stewart.
That and Hendrickson’s performance are why PFF’s Bradley Locker wrote that he’s the only free agent the Bengals can’t afford to lose:
“The 2024 All-Pro was limited to 285 snaps this season, but he still excelled with a 90.0 PFF pass-rushing grade and 23 pressures in seven games. He ranked fourth on the team in pressures and ranked first in PFF overall grade (min. 100 snaps), which speaks volumes about the Bengals’ pass-rushing status without him.”
Related: Duke Tobin’s anticipated Bengals speech wasn’t impressive
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To be fair, the Bengals’ list of significant free agents this offseason is very short.
Onlookers shouldn’t scoff at the idea of Hendrickson returning, either. He’s 31 years old, wants a big contract and is coming off injuries, so there’s always the possibility he’ll stay quiet in free agency and come back on a short-term deal (if not a franchise tag).
Now, though, Hendrickson is almost in line as the Bengals’ top free agent.
Related: Bengals players set to become free agents
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: It’s not shocking that the Bengals can’t afford to lose top free agents
