CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals can cross off the ultimate factor on their offseason guidelines.
Lengthen Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Discover a contract decision for Trey Hendrickson.
Examine, test and test.
5 months after the Bengals signed their star vast receivers to contract extensions, the staff reached a decision with its All-Professional cross rusher. Hendrickson and the Bengals agreed to phrases on a revised contract, the staff introduced on Monday, paving the best way for him to play this season.
However even with all the contract acrimony with Hendrickson, which featured a hold-in that lasted all of coaching camp, that was the straightforward half. Now the true problem begins: capitalizing on a premium championship window and ensuring Cincinnati would not waste one other 12 months of quarterback Joe Burrow’s profession.
The Bengals are coming off their second straight season and not using a playoff berth regardless of Burrow, Chase and Hendrickson having one of the best seasons of their careers in 2024. By wrapping up Hendrickson’s contract saga 13 days earlier than the beginning of the common season, it ensures either side do not waste any time as they prep for the upcoming 12 months.
“If we are able to get him on the market, we are able to transition him onto the sphere pretty shortly, given his experience and expertise,” defensive coordinator Al Golden mentioned final week.
Hendrickson has lengthy represented one of many NFL’s finest cut price contracts and free agent signings of the last decade.
In 2021, the Bengals signed him to a four-year deal value $60 million. He has reached the Professional Bowl yearly in Cincinnati and had 17.5 sacks in every of the previous two seasons. That whole led the league in 2024, and he was named to the Related Press All-Professional staff, the very best honor for a participant outdoors of successful the MVP or a participant of the 12 months award.
However regardless of that and Burrow being an MVP finalist and Chase successful the receiving triple crown with 127 receptions, 1,708 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns, Cincinnati missed the playoffs. The dearth of defensive success was a main issue, and it led the Bengals to fireplace Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator and exchange him with Golden, the previous Notre Dame DC.
At instances this offseason, it was unclear if Golden was ever going to have the ability to coach Hendrickson. In March, the Bengals granted Hendrickson the flexibility to hunt a commerce. By Could, nothing had materialized, and Hendrickson arrived in Cincinnati throughout voluntary exercises to talk with the media. He defined that he needed a long-term contract with substantial assured cash.
The Bengals had different plans.
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“Plainly a shorter deal is one thing that they’re pushing fairly onerous,” Hendrickson mentioned on Could 13.
And that is finally what occurred. However the deal has a construction that finally works out for either side. Hendrickson will keep the flexibility to be a free agent subsequent season when his contract expires, and the Bengals may have the companies of one of many NFL’s finest edge rushers.
Final season, Hendrickson had the third-highest stress fee at 14.6%, in accordance with ESPN Analysis. He additionally created 26 sacks. The subsequent-closest participant in that class was Houston’s Danielle Hunter with 14.5, per ESPN Analysis.
All through Hendrickson’s contract saga, everybody inside Cincinnati’s constructing knew how a lot better he makes the staff, together with Burrow.
“He is one of the crucial distinctive folks I’ve ever been round and met, and I like that about him,” Burrow mentioned in Could. “I feel that is what makes him an important participant. He brings a singular power that I am at all times excited to see.”
Again in 2022, Burrow mentioned he believed his championship window would run the size of his profession. However a season-ending wrist damage in 2023 preceded the frustration of 2024.
Now, lower than two weeks earlier than the beginning of the 2025 season, Burrow and the Bengals have their finest defensive participant again within the fold. And Cincinnati’s stars know the stakes for a roster of this caliber.
“We will not dwell on what we did in 2021 and 2022,” Chase instructed ESPN in July, referencing the staff’s two journeys to the AFC Championship Sport and a Tremendous Bowl berth after the 2021 season. “So now now we have to point out it once more and simply show ourselves.”
