Trey Hendrickson is surprisingly still available in NFL free agency. Hendrickson, who previously played with the Cincinnati Bengals, was arguably the top EDGE rusher in free agency, but he has not signed during the second day of the legal tampering window. However, an NFL insider has revealed a surprising update that explains why he is still unsigned.
As CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports, the price difference between what Hendrickson wants and what teams are willing to pay is about $10 million per year. This is a surprising development, as the market for 31-year-old EDGE is not what they expected. It appears Hendrickson is looking for more than $30 million per year.
For context, Odafe Owe agreed to a deal with the Washington Commanders that will pay him $25 million per year, while Boye Mafe’s new contract with the Bengals pays him $20 million per year. Most notably, Jaylen Phillips agreed to a deal with the Carolina Panthers worth $30 million per season.
Hendrickson was ranked as the top EDGE rusher free agent during the 2026 NFL offseason, so these numbers are likely serving as a baseline for his contract desires. However, the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year runner-up underwent core muscle surgery during the 2025–26 NFL season at the age of 31.
Hendrickson only had four sacks in 2025; However, over the last two years he averaged 17.5 sacks per season. There are several teams that want to sign Hendrickson, but there must be a bridge in contract negotiations to get a deal done. Right now, the difference of about $10 million is too big.
There will be an NFL team that wants to sign a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber player, but Hendrickson may have to lower his asking price to get the deal done.
READ MORE: New England Patriots interested in Trey Hendrickson
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