The Cincinnati Bengals entered the 2025 NFL season with playoff aspirations with a Joe Burrow-led offense and a Trey Hendrickson-anchored defense. But after Burrow went down in Week 2 and the defense's subsequent collapse, things quickly unraveled.
Cincinnati had a chance to trade Hendrickson in the offseason or at the NFL trade deadline, but didn't. Now, with a 3-8 record, the decision not to trade Hendrickson is coming into question.
However, even though Hendrickson is likely departing after this season, the Bengals' decision not to trade the All-Pro pass rusher wasn't the wrong one.
Why Bengals made right decision not to trade Trey Hendrickson
Bengals players have been marred in contract disputes in recent seasons, with Hendrickson's being the worst. If the Bengals were to trade him, it would've been before he signed his $29 million deal for the 2025 season.
But once that deal was signed, the Bengals had no reason to trade Hendrickson unless they were out of the playoff race by the trade deadline.
It's easy to criticize the Bengals for holding onto Hendrickson, who hasn't played since Week 8, and is still out for Week 13 against the Baltimore Ravens, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
But there are a few reasons why the decision to hold onto Henrickson was likely the Bengals' only choice, despite having a clear reason to trade him.
At 3-6, coming into the trade deadline, the Bengals had reason to trade Hendrickson. However, an injury in Week 8 against the New York Jets and his missed Week 9 matchup against the Chicago Bears made any trade difficult to complete.
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With the Bengals reportedly asking for a lot in return, the combination of his injury and his expensive contract made his offers less than the Bengals were looking for.
Multiple factors led to Hendrickson staying in Cincinnati, as the offers for an injured pass rusher who's 30 years old, worth $29 million, and in a contract year weren't great.
For the Bengals, accepting anything less than a third-round pick would've been a mistake. Even though he hasn't had an ideal season in 2025, Hendrickson will likely sign a big deal in free agency, likely netting the Bengals a third-round compensatory pick.
While such a pick isn't a guarantee, from the Bengals' perspective, trading him to another team for less than a third wouldn't have been worth it.
What would make things even worse is that if Hendrickson were traded, and his new team let him walk and he signed a big deal, then that new team would get the third-round compensatory pick.
Bengals fans can be frustrated at the team right now, but their decision not to trade Hendrickson at the deadline for less than a third-round pick was the right decision.
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