Report: Bengals 'working to retain' Trey Hendrickson after extending Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins

The Bengals dished out some massive contract extensions to wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on Sunday evening. Now, they’re working to retain their star on the defensive side of the football in pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, “Cincinnati is working to retain Trey Hendrickson and discussions are ongoing between the two sides. The Bengals are attempting to do what many in the league thought difficult and keep — and pay — all three of their stars.”

Sources: Cincinnati is working to retain Trey Hendrickson and discussions are ongoing between the two sides.

The Bengals are attempting to do what many in the league thought difficult and keep — and pay — all three of their stars. pic.twitter.com/3fQjvqjwZg

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 17, 2025

As Russini mentioned, many didn’t expect the Bengals to keep Chase, Higgins and Hendrickson. While Chase always seemed destined to remain in Cincinnati, it was never a sure-thing for Higgins of Hendrickson. Now, it seems as if they’re working towards having all three remain with the AFC North franchise.

Earlier this offseason, the Bengals gave their star defender permission to seek a trade. With one year left on his contract, Hendrickson was set to receive $16 million this year after leading the league in sacks last season, but it looks like he’s set for a major raise.

It’s the second consecutive offseason Hendrickson has been involved in trade talks. All he did after being shopped prior to last season was finish the 2024-25 campaign with 46 tackles and 17.5 sacks, 3.5 more than the next closest player. He’s become one of the best defensive players in the entire league during his tenure in Cincinnati. 

So, why were the Bengals looking to move their star defender? According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, they’re offering him a long-term deal, but they were finding it difficult to meet the salary demands that Hendrickson deserves at the moment. 

“He’s being shopped right now,” Fowler said, via SportsCenter on Saturday. “The Bengals are open to options. You’re still leaving the door open to potentially keep him on a long-term deal. They have made an offer to him. It’s just not looking great, because of the money that he could command. The Bengals are going to have a hard time meeting that. 

“But the feeling I get talking to teams is that they would love a first-round pick. That might not be attainable in a trade. A Day 2 package, including let’s say a second rounder and more, could get it done for last year’s sack leader. You look at teams like Washington, Atlanta and Philadelphia, they all need pass-rush help.”

Now, it seems like Cincinnati is trending towards keeping Trey Hendrickson. Time will tell if they’re able to, but the Bengals would certainly be better off inking their star defender to a long-term deal than trading him.