Trey Hendrickson requests a trade, per report

Is Trey Hendrickson on his way out of Cincinnati?

This is not the kind of news the Cincinnati Bengals wanted to see entering the 2024 NFL Draft.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, standout defensive end Trey Hendrickson has requested a trade. Hendrickson is reportedly upset with his current contract and hopes to earn a long-term deal.

Set to play in his eighth NFL season in 2024, Hendrickson has become one of the league’s best pass-rushers, racking up 53 sacks over the past four seasons. He’s set to turn 30 in December, so it’s easy to see why Hendrickson is eager to get what’s probably going to be his last massive payday before heading into the twilight of his career.

Hendrickson is under contract through the 2025 season after signing a one-year extension in 2023. He has cap charges of $21.6 million this year and $18.6 million in 2025.

I’d say defensive end became a much bigger need for this week’s draft. Could we see the Bengals take one in Round 1 now? Someone like Jared Verse would make sense if he’s available.

Unfortunately for Hendrickson, the Bengals are notorious for taking extremely hard stances on requests like this. Unless he plans on holding out into the regular season, it’s hard to see the front office dealing him unless someone blows them away with a trade offer they simply can’t refuse.

This week’s draft just got a whole lot more interesting in the Queen City.

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