NFL GM: Bengals Have 'Ridiculous' Trey Hendrickson Asking Price amid NFL Trade Rumors

One NFL general manager feels the Cincinnati Bengals have placed a "ridiculous" asking price on a trade for star edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini.

Dan Graziano of ESPN reported something similar Wednesday, saying on Get Up prospective suitors have been "turned off" by Cincinnati's trade demands.

The Bengals have reportedly allowed representatives for the four-time Pro Bowler to survey his trade market. He's due to hit free agency in 2026 and his $15.8 million base salary for next season is a massive bargain given his on-field production (35 combined sacks in 2023 and 2024).

Russini reported other teams are willing to give Hendrickson a new contract, but she laid out how Cincy still holds all of the cards.

The organization has shown in the past it's willing to remain firm in any contractual dispute, even if that approach was arguably counterproductive. They let safety Jessie Bates III walk as a free agent in 2023. They've applied the franchise tag to wide receiver Tee Higgins for the second successive offseason. And now they're setting up a situation where Hendrickson leaves for nothing next spring.

A hesitancy to hand the 30-year-old an extension is understandable.

Wideout Ja'Marr Chase is in the final year of his rookie deal, and paying him at the top of the market will mean an annual salary of $35 million or more. The cost of re-signing Hendrickson has jumped this offseason, too, with Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby penning contracts that average $40 million and $35.5 million respectively.

But if the Bengals aren't going to make a long-term commitment in this case, then a trade is the sensible course of action. They could surely get something of value back, which they can invest in another edge-rusher or use to target another area of the field.

Cincinnati clearly has strong short-term ambitions, hence tagging Higgins and adopting its present stance on Hendrickson. At a certain point, though, willingly losing key players to free agency rather than trading them hurts the franchise in the long run.