Star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson is scheduled to hit free agency this offseason, but the Cincinnati Bengals could avoid that by franchise tagging him. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on the likelihood of that on Sunday.

"The sense at the end of the week is that Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) and Odafe Oweh (Chargers) will probably not be franchise-tagged," he wrote. "That could change over the next 48 hours, but Oweh has not received any indication that he will be tagged, and most around the league would be surprised if the Bengals tag Hendrickson."

Franchise tags are one-year deals that teams can assign to players scheduled to hit free agency without negotiating. Each team gets one tag per year. 

Hendrickson has played for the Bengals since 2021, but the marriage may be ending. The organization gave the four-time Pro Bowler permission to seek a trade last offseason as he sought a contract extension, but he never found a trade partner. It then gave him a $14 million raise for 2025 instead of an extension, and he's now set to hit the open market.

Cincinnati has been below-average in scoring defense each of the last three seasons and was 30th in that category in 2025. Losing a star defensive end is not the way to solve that problem.

At the same time, the Bengals can still fix their defense if Hendrickson leaves. Being active in the free agency and the trade market as well as adding talent via the draft are all helpful remedies for this type of situation, but the front office must be aggressive.

While Hendrickson is elite, he's not indispensable.  The 31-year-old is coming off an injury-shortened season, and his prime may not last much longer. Replacing him with younger and cheaper players is a sensible long-term strategy.

However, Cincinnati will likely have to replace Hendrickson's production with multiple players. The former All-Pro led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024 and had the same amount in 2023, and few individuals can produce like that consistently. 

The bright side is that the Bengals' needs couldn't be more obvious. They were above-average in scoring defense during their run to the Super Bowl and AFC Championship in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The unit's decline coincides with the team's lack of success since then, while the offense has remained respectable with star quarterback Joe Burrow and star wideout Ja'Marr Chase leading the way. In fact, those two led the NFL in passing and receiving in 2024, respectively, but Cincinnati still missed the playoffs.

Having players like Burrow, Chase, and fellow wideout Tee Higgins is not a privilege that the Bengals can take for granted. They deserve a defense that pulls its weight, and they've already proven how far they can take the team when they have one.