After a long-standing contract dispute with the Cincinnati Bengals, Trey Hendrickson has left the franchise and signed with their AFC North divisional rival, the Baltimore Ravens.

Following this, the Bengals' director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, dismissed all questions regarding the All-Pro edge rusher after the 2026 NFL Draft.

“I don’t think much about that anymore,” Tobin said, “I’m moved to this year and what we have and looking forward to seeing Boye and Cashius and our new guys in our uniforms more than anything.”

The dispute began in 2023, when Hendrickson signed a one-year extension instead of a long-term contract. Naturally, the following season, he pushed for a better deal, but requested a trade after not receiving a contract on his terms, which went unanswered.

He had an outstanding season in 2024, recording 17.5 sacks, 46 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 6 passes defensed. He earned his fourth Pro Bowl selection and First-team All-Pro honors.

Hendrickson eventually requested a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals again, which the team permitted, but no deal materialized.

As the dispute continued, he skipped the mandatory offseason workouts as well as early training camp. The Bengals didn’t extend his contract, but they restructured his 2025 salary, which ended his holdout.

Things finally came to a head when the Bengals didn’t place a franchise tag on him for the 2026 season, making Hendrickson a free agent. He went on to sign a four-year, $122 million deal with his former team’s rival, the Baltimore Ravens, after that.

The DE may have burned all bridges with the Bengals with his salty exit and choice to join the Ravens. So, it is understandable why Duke Tobin found no reason to continue to dwell on the conflict. It seems he is looking forward to the 2026 season and is focused on the new additions to the team.

But Hendrickson doesn't seem to have let bygones be bygones. He has continued to comment on his former team, not only during his time with the Bengals, but even after joining the Ravens.

Trey Hendrickson Reflects on His Time with the Cincinnati Bengals

The four-time Pro Bowler, Trey Hendrickson, had been in a contract dispute with the Cincinnati Bengals for four years. Prior to the training camp in 2025, he was even told he’d be fined if he didn’t attend. This made it “personal” for Hendrickson.

“We've tried to keep it as least amount as personal as possible, but at some point in this process it's becomes personal,” he said about the fine.

Hendrickson felt that there had always been a communication gap between him and the Bengals. So, after joining the Baltimore Ravens, he suggested the move was “probably overdue” for him.

“I'm in a win-now window,” Hendrickson said via his introductory press conference, “A lot of things transpired. I've always been a ‘control what you can control’ type of guy, and this is a great fit for me. I'm excited for this season.”

Now that Hendrickson has finally gotten a deal on his terms, let’s see how the 2026 season turns out for him.

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Written by

Monika Khatai

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit