Overview

• Multiple outlets report the reworked pact adds $14 million to Hendrickson’s 2025 pay, lifting his salary to $30 million, which the team confirmed as a revised contract without disclosing terms.
• The agreement ends months of holdout and hold-in tactics that included missed practices and periods of trade exploration during stalled negotiations.
• Hendrickson is expected to play in Cincinnati’s Week 1 opener against the Browns following the raise.
• The deal covers only 2025 and includes no multi-year guarantees, leaving Hendrickson on track for unrestricted free agency after the season unless the Bengals use the franchise tag.
• His leverage stemmed from elite production—35 sacks over the past two seasons, including an NFL-best 17.5 in 2024—against a market where peers like T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby landed massive guaranteed extensions.