Trey Hendrickson makes humble season prediction after Bengals contract: 'One day…'

The Cincinnati Bengals have their final piece in position for a Super Bowl-contender level roster this season. The team signed defensive end Trey Hendrickson.

The Cincinnati Bengals have their final piece in position for a Super Bowl-contender level roster this season. The team managed to ink a one-year deal with defensive end Trey Hendrickson on Monday (August 25) evening.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson managed to secure a $14 million raise. (AP)

“We have agreed to a revised contract with Trey Hendrickson,” the official Bengals’ handle announced via a social media post.

Trey Hendrickson weighs in

“We’re taking one day at a time,” Hendrickson told Geoff Hobson, as reported by the team’s official website. “Moving forward, we’ll figure that out as it goes. For this season, to be given a raise, I didn’t necessarily have to have been given one; it’s a blessing to be in a position where I’ve been brought up to my peers. And also being able to get after quarterbacks.”

Hendrickson managed to secure a $14 million raise despite turning to free agency come March. His base salary now totals $30 million with an additional $1 million incentive if he plays 60 percent of the defensive plays and the Bengals make the playoffs, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Bengals could now use the franchise tag on him, as he sustains the option to exit from the team next season.

“I love this city, and with what’s been happening the last couple of months, I’ve had time to reflect on what it means to me and how much I want to stay a Bengal for the 2025 season. There’s a tremendous amount of respect for the back and forth we had and the countless times of trying to make things work on multiple-year extensions, all the way down to the raise. And what makes sense for the family at the time, and what was presented to us. This is what’s best for not only the 2025 Bengals, but also for my family personally. It’s a tremendous honor to get a raise and be respected for what I do.”

“It gives a lot of clarity to the 2025 defense,” he further added. “It gives us a couple of more good practices, and with a great offseason in the books, both personally and as a team, I feel like now we can go collectively play for the 2025 Bengals. And what’s best for the team is the best players playing in their relative positions.”

Impact on Bengals' roster

After skipping the team’s voluntary offseason program and holding back in training camp, Hendrickson is now expected to return to practice on Wednesday as one of the highest-paid edge rushers in the league. With receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase signed on with long-term extensions and first-round edge rusher Shemar Stewart signed with his rookie deal, the team’s roster carries significant depth, as reported by NBC.

New defensive coordinator Al Golden recently spoke about Hendrickson’s contributions and counselling for the team. "I think, obviously, his play, his resume, warrants that," he said, as reported by the team’s official website. "He's working on his conditioning with Joey and the staff, and he's doing a great job with the playbook and everything. And obviously, if we can get him out there, we can transition him onto the field fairly quickly, given his expertise and experience."

The Bengals are scheduled to face the Cleveland Browns on September 7.