Trey Hendrickson hits open market as Bengals pass on franchise tag, Cowboys chatter builds
trey hendrickson is headed to the open market after the Cincinnati Bengals declined to use the franchise tag by the 4 p. m. ET deadline on Tuesday. The decision closes a long, public contract dispute and sets up a high-stakes free agency moment for a four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher. Hendrickson marked the moment with a goodbye message posted to Instagram after the deadline passed.
Bengals let Trey Hendrickson walk as tag window closes
NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero said Tuesday that Cincinnati chose not to tag Hendrickson, a move that positions him to become a free agent. The 2026 tag would have paid $24. 434 million for one season, a figure that underscores the price point Cincinnati opted not to carry into the new league year.
In his Instagram statement after 4 p. m. ET, Hendrickson thanked the organization and the city and framed his five-season run in Cincinnati in emotional, reflective terms. “The last 5 years have been filled with Great wins & Tough losses, ” Hendrickson wrote, adding that he was proud to wear the Bengals logo and honor its history.
Contract dispute, big production, and a 2025 injury reshape the stakes
The Bengals’ decision effectively ends what was described as an extended, grinding contract saga between the player and the club—one that included calls for a competitive long-term extension, trade requests, eventual permission, and a stalemate that only eased with a short-term solution. With Hendrickson’s revised, one-year deal now just days from expiration, Cincinnati’s non-tag choice signals it is not moving forward with another short-term holdover.
On the field, Hendrickson’s value has been clear. He posted consecutive 17. 5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024, a run that boosted his earning power at a pivotal time as he approached his 31st birthday. But his 2025 season was cut down sharply: he played in seven games due to a core muscle injury that required season-ending surgery in early December. That health snapshot is now part of the evaluation as teams weigh immediate impact versus medical uncertainty.
At 31 years old, this free agency also carries added urgency. It will be Hendrickson’s first time back on the market since 2021, and it arrives at what was described as a likely final chance to cash in on elite-level edge production.
Immediate reactions: Officials confirm the move; Dallas rumors intensify
Rapoport and Pelissero’s Tuesday report established the key fact: the Bengals did not apply the tag, and Hendrickson will reach free agency.
Meanwhile, conversation around possible landing spots is already heating up. Trey Wingo said the Dallas Cowboys are set to pursue Hendrickson if they do not land Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby. The same discussion noted that Crosby would require a trade, while Hendrickson is set to become available without trade compensation once free agency opens.
The Cowboys have been described as prioritizing pass rush help in free agency, and interest in Hendrickson has been framed as a potential path to upgrading the defensive front without surrendering resources in a deal.
Quick context
Hendrickson’s Bengals tenure spans five seasons and included major individual production, culminating in back-to-back 17. 5-sack years. The relationship then moved through a prolonged contract dispute before Tuesday’s non-tag decision at 4 p. m. ET made the split official in practical terms.
What’s next
Over the coming days, attention will shift to how quickly trey hendrickson draws firm offers and whether teams tied to edge-rush needs—alongside the Cowboys’ stated interest conditional on the Maxx Crosby pursuit—move from chatter to action once free agency formally begins. Hendrickson has publicly closed his Cincinnati chapter; the next development will be which team steps in first with a deal that reflects both his 2023–2024 production and the reality of his shortened 2025 season.
