As of this writing, the Cincinnati Bengals remain highly unlikely to trade star defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
While the contract standoff doesn’t sound any closer to ending despite Hendrickson being in town, both parties have plenty of time between now and training camp to get something done.
Odds are that still happens. The Bengals need him on the field and have plenty of leverage, including the fact Hendrickson is still under contract and would only hurt his own value if he did sit out.
But Hendrickson trade ideas won’t stop coming until something does happen. The latest, from Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton, has the Bengals shipping Hendrickson to the Detroit Lions:
“The Bengals may not feel comfortable paying a 30-year-old edge-rusher entering his age-31 season that amount of money on a multiyear deal. At the right price, they would likely entertain trade proposals.
The Detroit Lions should offer a 2026 second-rounder and a 2026 fifth-rounder to go all-in on an attempt to make a deep playoff run after an early exit last season.”
RELATED: Cincinnati Bengals’ 53-man roster projection following 2025 offseason
The problem when talking about the Bengals and trades is the right price thing. The Bengals like their trades like they like their contracts: It’s a duel they need to win. Look at the Carson Palmer trade all those years ago.
That very same Bengals front office granted Hendrickson permission to seek a trade and nothing ever happened, likely in part because the Bengals want a first-round pick and more before even starting the conversation.
No team is going to offer that for Hendrickson for the same reasons (age, money, etc.) the Bengals are hesitant to commit to him for the long-term on a massive extension.
RELATED: Joe Burrow feelings on Trey Hendrickson contract standoff revealed
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals still being predicted to trade Trey Hendrickson to NFC