CINCINNATI — A Cincinnati Bengals star defensive end is now a free agent.
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The Bengals declined to give defensive Trey Hendrickson the franchise tag, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Each NFL team is allowed to grant the option to tag one player with an expiring contract. It allows them to keep them for one more season.
This means that Hendrickson will become an unrestricted free agent.
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He thanked his teammates, coaches, staff, fans, and the organization in a social media post on Tuesday.
“Thank you for the opportunity to play the game I love at the highest level. The last 5 years have been filled with Great wins & Tough losses, personal achievements & humbling adversities,” said Hendrickson in an Instagram post. “I was & always will be proud to have worn the Cincinnati Bengals logo & honor the history behind it.”
The 31-year-old defensive end played in only six games during the 2025 season due to a hip injury.
Hendrickson had 16 tackles, four sacks, one pass defended, and one forced fumble.
He concluded by thanking Bengals fans.
“Thank you for supporting me in the relentless pursuit of winning. You’ve made the Jungle Roar when I hunted QB after QB! Memories of those moments will live in my heart & mind forever. The hard work this city puts in, and its support for our Bengals, made it easy to empty the tank for this fanbase! I could not be more proud of the high standards we have for our city & football team.”
Cincinnati went 6-11 this past season and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.
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