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Trey Hendrickson has issued the Cincinnati Bengals an ultimatum. The star pass rushers wants a big extension or a trade this offseason.
“I want to help win a Super Bowl for Cincinnati if I’m there or not,” Hendrickson said during an interview with Pat McAfee last week. The clear implication of that statement is he wants an extension or a trade that would net the team additional draft picks and free up cap space.
After totaling 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons, Hendrickson will be a hot name to watch during the NFL offseason. He is expected to receive strong trade interest from teams this offseason if it appears the Bengals do not plan to give Hendrickson an extension.
The New Orleans Saints, coached by Sean Payton at the time, picked Hendrickson in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft out of FAU. He spent the first four years of his career with the Saints before joining the Bengals as a free agent in 2021.
Now 30 years old with 57 sacks over the last four years, Hendrickson is entering the final year of his contract in Cincinnati. Given the Payton connection, the Denver Broncos could be a team to watch.
Then again, the Broncos have more pressing needs than pass rusher, so Payton might not be quick to trade draft capital and then give out a big contract extension, even with Hendrickson still playing at an elite level.
Landing in Denver might not be a likely scenario for Hendrickson, but his status with the Bengals will be worth monitoring this spring.