Bengals' Trey Hendrickson Discusses 2025 NFL Trade Deadline Rumors, Hip Injury

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson knows he's a hot commodity leading up to Tuesday's trade deadline, but he's not stressing about his future.

"I really just try to put my nose down and go to work," Hendrickson told reporters on Monday. "That's all I've been able to do. This offseason, I had a million different scenarios that could happen. The one that happened, they approved. It's out of my hands. I trust in the Lord through this process. Whatever he has in store, it'll be done."

Hendrickson also addressed his hip injury that forced him to miss Sunday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, saying, "This is new territory for me (with the injury), navigating these waters of being tough but being smart. It's a new challenge. I'm embracing this challenge. It's different and new. I love these guys. That's the unfortunate thing."

Hendrickson had sat out Cincinnati's Week 7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers before returning the following week against the New York Jets. However, he exited the game early after aggravating his injury, and he admitted that he shouldn't have returned to the field so soon.

"I can't control what peoples' evaluations or questions of me are. I have a standard for my play, and they have a standard for the recovery process. The Jets game was early in hindsight," he said.

Without Hendrickson, the Bengals fell to the Bears 47-42 on a last-second touchdown pass by Caleb Williams. Cincinnati's defense has underperformed all year, and Sunday's loss ignited some dissension within the team, with offensive players calling out their counterparts.

▶️ Full Bears-Bengals Recap

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However, Hendrickson may not be part of the solution, as he had a contentious contract negotiation with the Bengals this past offseason before agreeing to a restructured salary in the final year of his deal. Cincinnati could choose to recoup assets for its star edge rusher rather than losing him for nothing on the open market in a few months, though the team still has the option to use the franchise tag again.

Still, the Bengals are known for being cautious when it comes to in-season trades, so they could hold onto Hendrickson in hopes of working out a long-term deal before the offseason.