NFL analyst speculates Trey Hendrickson earning more than Maxx Crosby’s $106,500,000 contract

Trey Hendrickson is still awaiting a contract resolution this offseason. The Cincinnati Bengals defensive end is negotiating with the franchise, but he was also made available for a trade if no deal is reached.

There is no report on what he wants from Cincinnati. The pass rusher market recently experienced a spike, as Myles Garrett signed a deal for $40 million a year and every other player negotiating an extension could ask for a big raise.

In a discussion between Mike Florio and Chris Simms on "Pro Football Talk," Simms highlighted that the Bengals could find a way to keep Hendrickson on the roster even after the trade request — unless he's asking for an untenable salary.

It's about the price Hendrickson is searching for, right?" Simms said on Monday. "I mean, is it? Is it up there past Nick Bosa and Maxx Crosby? Is that where we're at? That type of number? Are we up there by getting? Are we past that? As long as it's not 40 million a year, I would think they can make this work.

Simms added that he does not think that Hendrickson is asking for a contract in the same ballpark as Garrett, while also pointing out Joe Burrow's pressure to get a deal done.

Bengals looking to keep Trey Hendrickson after extending contracts of star wide receivers

On Sunday, Cincinnati was able to strike a deal with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, keeping the receivers on the roster and making Joe Burrow happy after publicly calling for new deals.

Burrow has also publicly called for the Bengals to keep Trey Hendrickson. He has called out the franchise, saying "You don't want to make a habit of letting great players get out of the building" during Higgins' negotiations.

Hendrickson has amassed 35 sacks over the past two seasons, leading the league with 17.5 in 2024 and finishing second for the Defensive Player of the Year award. He also earned first-team All-Pro recognition and has a salary of $15.8 million in 2025, with one year left on his deal.