Reports: Bengals, Trey Hendrickson finalize deal that gives him raise for 2025 season

CINCINNATI — A hold-in no longer: Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals are finalizing a deal to keep the NFL sack leader happy in Cincinnati this season.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport first reported Monday afternoon the two sides were "closing in" on a new contract just hours after multiple reports that the Bengals were restarting conversations with the All-Pro ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

In the end, the Bengals gave Hedrickson a $14 million raise — meaning he'll make $30 million this season. Like previously planned, the 30-year-old will then become a free agent at the end of the year.

Hendrickson was already under contract through this season, but both he and Bengals owner Mike Brown have stated that he's worth more after a league-leading season.

"He deserves a raise," Brown said at the team's annual luncheon in July. "He did well. He played effectively. He's important."

Still, no deal was made during the offseason.

Hendrickson angrily spoke out about the contract disputes this May, saying he had hoped to get a new deal sooner.

"To say I'm gonna sit out or to say I'm not going to, what I can say is I'm very disappointed with the communication that's been had," Hedrickson told reporters. "It's very — former players have walked in these shoes, and what it foreshadows is not something that I'm excited about, to tell my wife and family."

He originally skipped out on training camp, but eventually returned — in plain clothes with no pads and no helmet.

By mid-August, Cincinnati was reportedly listening to trade offers from other teams as negotiations stalled. However, as Rapoport previously reported, a trade this late in the preseason would "be a real challenge."

Thankfully, it appears both sides were able to come to a decision that was mutually beneficial.