Bengals paid Trey Hendrickson, others, now they have to win

CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals can cross off the final thing on their offseason checklist.

Extend Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Find a contract resolution for Trey Hendrickson.

Check, check and check.

Five months after the Bengals signed their star wide receivers to contract extensions, the team reached a resolution with its All-Pro pass rusher. Hendrickson and the Bengals agreed to terms on a revised contract, the team announced on Monday, paving the way for him to play this season.

But even with all of the contract acrimony with Hendrickson, which featured a hold-in that lasted all of training camp, that was the easy part. Now the real challenge begins: capitalizing on a premium championship window and making sure Cincinnati doesn't waste another year of quarterback Joe Burrow's career.

Cincinnati is coming off its second straight season without a playoff berth despite Burrow, Chase and Hendrickson having the best seasons of their careers in '24. By wrapping up Hendrickson's contract saga 13 days before the start of the regular season, it ensures both sides don't waste any time toward prepping for the upcoming year.

"If we can get him out there, we can transition him onto the field fairly quickly, given his expertise and experience," defensive coordinator Al Golden said last week.

Hendrickson has long represented one of the NFL's best bargains and free agent signings of the decade.

In 2021, the Bengals signed him to a four-year deal worth $60 million. Every year in Cincinnati he has reached the Pro Bowl and had 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons. That total led the league in 2024 and he was named to the Associated Press All-Pro team, the highest honor for a player outside of winning the MVP or a Player of the Year award.

But despite that and Burrow being an MVP finalist and Chase winning the receiving triple crown with 127 receptions, 1,708 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns last year, Cincinnati didn't make the playoffs. The lack of defensive success was a primary factor, and it led the Bengals to fire Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator and replace him with Golden, the former Notre Dame DC.

At times this offseason, it was unclear if Golden was ever going to be able to coach Hendrickson. In March, the Bengals granted Hendrickson the ability to seek a trade. By May, nothing had materialized and Hendrickson arrived in Cincinnati one day during voluntary workouts to speak with the media. He explained that he wanted a long-term contract with substantial guaranteed money.

The Bengals had other plans.

"It seems that a shorter deal is something that they are pushing pretty hard," Hendrickson said on May 13.

And that's ultimately what happened. But it was a structure that ultimately worked out for both sides. Hendrickson will maintain the ability to be a free agent next season when his contract expires and the Bengals will have the services of one of the NFL's best edge rushers.

Last season, Hendrickson had the third-highest pressure rate at 14.6%, according to ESPN Research. He also created 26 sacks. The next closest player in that category was Houston's Danielle Hunter with 14.5, per ESPN Research.

Throughout Hendrickson's contract saga, everyone inside Cincinnati's building knew how much better he makes this year's team, including Burrow.

"He's one of the most unique people I've ever been around and met, and I love that about him," Burrow said in May. "I think that's what makes him a great player. He brings a unique energy that I'm always excited to see."

Back in 2022, Burrow said he believed his championship window would run the length of his career. But a season-ending wrist injury in 2023 preceded the disappointment of 2024.

Now, less than two weeks before the start of the 2025 season, Burrow and the Bengals have their best defensive player back in the fold. And Cincinnati's stars know the stakes for a roster of this caliber.

"We can't dwell on what we did in 2021 and 2022," Chase told ESPN in July, referencing the team's two trips to the AFC Championship and a Super Bowl berth after the '21 season. "So now we have to show it all over again and just prove ourselves."