Trey Hendrickson says goodbye to Bengals as no tag used on DE
CINCINNATI — The Bengals didn’t use the franchise tag on defensive finish Trey Hendrickson forward of Tuesday’s 4 pm deadline, making the previous All-Pro edge rusher accessible to signal with one other crew when free company opens subsequent week.
Hendrickson posted a goodbye to Cincinnati after Tuesday’s deadline handed, thanking the crew, his coaches and followers.
“To the organization: Thank you for the opportunity to play the game I love at the highest level,” he wrote “The last five years have been filled with great wins and tough losses. Personal achievements and humbling adversities.
“I used to be and all the time can be proud to have worn the Cincinnati Bengals brand and honor the historical past behind it.”
As of last week, the Bengals had not ruled out the possibility of placing the franchise tag on Hendrickson in an effort to potentially acquire draft capital for the 31-year-old pass rusher. However, at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis last week, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin noted that tagging a player and trading him to another team is not simple.
“All trades are tough,” Tobin told local reporters Feb. 24. “You have to discover a accomplice. you’ve got to have cooperation together with your gamers. Trades will be sophisticated.”
Had the Bengals placed the franchise tag on Hendrickson and signed it before it was rescinded, it would have cost the team $30.2 million against next season’s cap.
Dealing Hendrickson has proven difficult for Cincinnati.
Last offseason, the Bengals made the unusual request of granting Hendrickson the ability to see what the team could gain in a potential trade as he approached the end of his contract. At the time, Hendrickson was coming off an All-Pro season after he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks. However, a deal never materialized.
Hendrickson skipped the entire crew’s offseason exercises and held out originally of coaching camp. Eventually, the Bengals ended the stalemate by elevating his wage to $29 million. Cincinnati incurs a $6.5 million cost of lifeless cash in opposition to the wage cap due to final season’s increase.
An damage then prohibited Hendrickson from matching his earlier manufacturing. He performed in simply seven video games and was positioned on injured reserve in December following the choice to restore a core muscle damage that he picked up later within the season after which aggravated.
The Bengals’ determination not to use the tag on Hendrickson spells the tip of the tenure of considered one of crew’s finest free agent signings. In 2021, the edges agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal. Over time, Hendrickson turned one of many league’s best edge rushers, making the Pro Bowl in every of his first 4 seasons with the crew. Since 2021, he ranks second within the NFL in strain fee (13.2%), fourth in whole sacks (61) and fourth in sacks that resulted in fumbles (11), per ESPN Research.
Last season, the Bengals had been 6-11 after a midseason swoon following an damage to star quarterback Joe Burrow. At the mix, Tobin was requested why the crew did not resolve to commerce Hendrickson earlier than the deadline.
“The opportunities aren’t always there,” he stated. “When you’re talking trades, there are a lot of elements. The player’s health, age, contract, the current production.
“If you are within the swing of the season and you’ve got an opportunity, and the man helps you’ve got that likelihood, you are trying to maintain the prospect alive.”
