Trey Hendrickson free-agency prediction with Bears ideal for Bengals

The situation between the Cincinnati Bengals and All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson isn’t easy to figure out.

Some reports have said the Bengals and Hendrickson will go their separate ways this offseason. But newer reports confirm the idea that the team could use the franchise tag on him.

Greg Auman of Fox Sports? He’s one expert projecting that Hendrickson leaves the Bengals via free agency, heading for the NFC and the Chicago Bears:

“Hendrickson, 31, doesn't have the luster he had a year ago. Instead of coming off back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons and four straight Pro Bowls, he's now coming off core muscle surgery in December that limited him to four sacks in seven games in 2025. He got a one-year, $29 million deal from the Bengals last year, but isn't likely to draw as much this time around. ESPN has him as the league's No. 1 overall free agent, but will he get more than one year guaranteed, and at much more than $20 million a year? He needs 19 sacks to reach 100 for his career and could easily get that in two more healthy seasons.”

Age and injury make it hard to tell what Hendrickson’s market will look like, no doubt. It almost feels like those are factors that could lead to his return. Keeping him in a rotation with first-round products Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart wouldn't be the worst outcome for the Bengals.

But if Zac Taylor and the Bengals do lose Hendrickson, a clean split while he goes to the NFC might be the best possible outcome, just on the chance he gets back to All-Pro form.

A tag-and-trade is always a possibility too, but would mean the Bengals do something unprecedented.

It’s hard to imagine the Bengals get a notable compensatory pick in return for Hendrickson’s departure on the open market, though, considering it sounds like they want to spend big on outside free agents.

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Trey Hendrickson free-agency prediction with Bears ideal for Bengals