If the Cincinnati Bengals are to trade Trey Hendrickson, it won't come cheap.
Hendrickson is one of the top pass rushers in the NFL, coming off back-to-back seasons with 17.5 sacks. Entering the final year of his contract, he wants an extension that pays him more like the rest of the top edge defenders in the league.
Because of that, and because a compromise doesn't seem to be forthcoming, Hendrickson is on the trade block.
The Bengals' price? A steep one.
According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, the Bengals want "a young defensive player and a 2026 first-round pick" in return for Hendrickson. She goes on to specify that the defender does not have to be a pass rusher.
That ask will make Hendrickson a very tricky sell.
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Acquiring Hendrickson comes with the added cost of presumably giving him the contract extension the Bengals won't. That could look something like four years for $150 million, just off the Myles Garrett deal with the Browns. Even if it's three years and $100 million, that's still a hefty sum to pay on top of giving up a promising young defender and a first-rounder.
The ask probably eliminates any team that worries it won't be good in 2025. Giving up a pick that ends up being a top-10 selection wouldn't feel great, but a contender likely wouldn't mind as much if the Bengals end up with their choice in the latter stages of the first round.
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It's also possible no one quite meets Cincinnati's asking price and it instead turns into a second-round pick with a player, or a slightly lesser player with the high pick.
It still feels like this situation could end a lot of different wants, and the regular season is three weeks away, so urgency could soon take the stage in these proceedings, too.
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