The Cincinnati Bengals have had star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson since 2021, but that marriage may end this offseason. NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe gave intel about the situation on Friday.

"A source told me he figures it's unlikely for these two sides to reunite going into next season," Wolfe said. "A difficult decision for Cincy, because their relationship has not been great in recent weeks, and I'm told that if this deal does end up happening (with another team), free agency-wise, keep an eye on the Indianapolis Colts. It's a team that wants to be aggressive. They made the big splash move for Sauce Gardner mid-season. Lou Anarumo has a lot of familiarity with Trey Hendrickson."

Hendrickson wanted a contract extension from the Bengals since the 2025 offseason, but he never got it. While they did give him a $14 million raise, his deal still expired after this past season. 

Unless Cincinnati slaps a $30.2 million franchise tag on Hendrickson, he'll hit the open market when the new league year begins on March 11.

Hendrickson is easily the most talented defensive player Cincinnati has had in recent years, but he's 31 and coming off an injury-shortened season. Instead of franchise tagging or re-signing him, it could use that cap space to acquire multiple players on defense.

The Bengals have been below-average in scoring defense in each of the last three years despite Hendrickson playing every game in 2023 and 2024. The 6-foot-4, 265-pounder also notched 17.5 sacks in each of those campaigns before recording four in seven appearances during an injury-shortened 2025 season.

The last three years have shown that Cincinnati needs more help than having a one-man band in Hendrickson. The five-time All-Pro has a market value of two-years, $50.8 million ($25.4 million average annual salary), per Spotrac. Neither that nor the franchise tag would be a negative value if he stayed healthy and returned to his 2024 production, but it makes sense to spread the money out for depth.

The Bengals could also receive a compensatory draft pick if Hendrickson walks. Compensatory picks are awarded to teams that lose more free agents than they gain in an offseason and can be between Rounds 3 and 7. 

Of course, this strategy will only work if Cincinnati replaces Hendrickson with the right players. Acquiring pass-rushers through free agency, trades, and the NFL Draft will give the organization the most chances to strike gold. At some point, it can't keep wasting Joe Burrow's prime with a bad defense.