A recent report shared that the Cincinnati Bengals were “still considering using the franchise tag” to retain the rights of pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson, who is set to reach free agency when the new league year opens on March 11.
In his latest mailbag, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested there’s a difference between “considering” and “strongly considering” as it pertains to the Bengals tagging Hendrickson.
“I’d be pretty surprised if Hendrickson ended up back in Cincinnati next year,” Breer explained. “The Bengals gave him a big raise, up to $29M last year, and only got seven games out of him, and there were real questions on how much he did to push through injuries. (Particularly when juxtaposed with how maniacal Joe Burrow was in trying to return from his toe injury ahead of schedule.)”
While Hendrickson needed core surgery in December, Burrow returned to action when the Bengals were 3-8 after a toe injury that he suffered in Week 2 caused him to miss nine games. Cincinnati ultimately finished the campaign with a record of 6-11.
Bengals have this option with Trey Hendrickson
Bengals reporter James Rapien of Sports Illustrated noted that Breer could end up being right about Hendrickson’s future in a way some may not expect.
“The Bengals can use the tag on Hendrickson anytime between Tuesday, Feb. 17, and Tuesday, March 3,” Rapien wrote. “The tag window gives them time to talk with Hendrickson’s agent, Harold Lewis, and make it clear that they plan to tag-and-trade his client. Once the Bengals communicate that, they can begin talking with other teams about trade compensation. It’s reasonable to think they could get a third- or fourth-round pick in this year’s draft in exchange for Hendrickson. After the Bengals front office agrees to terms on compensation, they can give Lewis permission to speak with that team about an extension.”
The Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots are among the teams that have been linked with unsettled Las Vegas Raiders pass-rusher Maxx Crosby. On Thursday, ESPN’s Sarah Barshop mentioned that the Los Angeles Rams are “all-in” on winning another title following the return of quarterback Matthew Stafford for at least one more season. Perhaps the Rams would want to bolster their defense by acquiring Hendrickson.