Bengals might've made right call on Trey Hendrickson amid critique from NFL exec

3 hours ago 1

The Cincinnati Bengals went into the 2026 NFL offseason with the very clear goal of improving their defense. They did exactly that, with five main additions helping set the stage for a defensive turnaround in 2026.

Trading for Dexter Lawrence II, signing Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook, and Jonathan Allen, along with drafting Cashius Howell, the Bengals made some huge moves this offseason. But, they also let Trey Hendrickson walk in free agency, despite their defensive need.

It might seem odd to let an All-Pro defender leave when the goal of the offseason is improving the defense. But a quote shared by ESPN from an NFL executive might make this decision to let Hendrickson walk seem like a good one for Cincinnati.

Bengals might've made right Trey Hendrickson decision

"He's been a great performer but doesn't have the dominant traits as some others, so when age and injuries pile up, it's harder for him to stay toward the top," an NFL personnel evaluator said.

Hendrickson, the now 31-year-old edge rusher, will be heading into his 10th season in the NFL. He's joined the Baltimore Ravens on a massive $112 million contract over the next four years.

Losing Hendrickson to a division rival is tough, but after placing as the sixth-best edge in the NFL in the 2025 ESPN poll, he dropped outside of the top 10 entirely for the 2026 ranking.

After playing just seven games this past season, after dealing with a lengthy injury that cut his season short, Hendrickson's stock has dropped considerably.

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He had four sacks in those seven games on 12 pressures, which was a huge step down from his 17.5 sacks and 54 pressures in 2024 with the Bengals. He had 17.5 sacks in 2023 on just 35 pressures and has been a four-time Pro Bowler in his career.

But, as this NFL personnel evaluator noted, with Hendrickson getting up there in age, above 31 years old, and the season-ending injury this past season, there's cause for concern.

While it might've been nice to have Hendrickson on the roster, being able to use that money to improve multiple areas of the roster should help make up for the departure of someone so important to this Bengals franchise.

The Bengals might've made the right decision letting Hendrickson walk in free agency, as his injury history and his age could keep him from being a top-10 edge rusher in the NFL like he's being paid to be.