CINCINNATI -- Like many times over the last four seasons, things looked fraught for the Cincinnati Bengals before Trey Hendrickson intervened.
With the Pittsburgh Steelers driving late in their Week 18 game against Cincinnati and the Bengals needing a win to keep playoff hopes afloat, Hendrickson provided a bit of comfort. He sacked Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson on second down, a play that contributed to Cincinnati's final defensive stop of the night in a 19-17 win.
Even if the victory wasn't enough to get the Bengals in the playoffs, it served as a lasting reminder at what Hendrickson provides to Cincinnati's defense. The end of the season also quickened the reality of the decision that must come next for the Bengals and Hendrickson.
The 30-year-old veteran has one year left on his current contract that will pay him $16 million in cash in 2025. But if a new extension isn't secured, Cincinnati could be at risk of upsetting its star defensive player to the point he may want out.
Following the win against Pittsburgh, and with the Bengals' playoff hopes still in the balance at the time, Hendrickson wasn't in the mood to discuss such matters.
"I haven't really gotten a lot of those questions, nor do I care to answer those," Hendrickson said. "Right now, I'm concerned about making the playoffs, check that box and we'll see what happens after that."
Word of Hendrickson's discontent started in 2024, when he requested a trade after the Bengals failed to give him a long-term deal one year after Cincinnati gave him an extension on his previous contract.
After the trade request was ignored, Hendrickson eventually tabled the request, showed up for voluntary offseason workouts and turned in another productive season. When asked if he could have asked for a better year, Hendrickson left that up for reporters to decide.
But the numbers speak for themselves.
Not only did Hendrickson lead the league with 17.5 sacks, but he was also second in the league in pass rush win rate as an edge rusher at 24.2% (ESPN metric powered by Next Gen Stats) and was second in quarterback hits (36).
It produced two of the highest individual accolades a player can receive -- the aforementioned All-Pro nod and his fourth career Pro Bowl. Hendrickson and Ja'Marr Chase are two of eight Bengals players who have accomplished those feats in Cincinnati.
Quarterback Joe Burrow believed that Hendrickson was worthy of even more.
"After tonight, I don't know who else is going to win Defensive Player of the Year other than him," Burrow said after Hendrickson's 3.5-sack outing against the Steelers. "He was incredible tonight. Anytime that he didn't have chip help, he was getting to the quarterback."
That quality has existed over time. Beyond the traditional stats, ESPN tracks how many times a pass rusher creates a key negative play -- incompletions, sacks and interceptions. Since the Bengals signed Hendrickson as a free agent in 2021, Hendrickson leads all defenders with 203 high-impact pass rushes, per ESPN Research. Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons is the next closest player at 192.
However, his contract value doesn't reflect that. According to Roster Management System, Hendrickson ranks 11th among edge rushers in average annual salary. Last season, Hendrickson had 23 more high-impact rushes than New York Giants defender Brian Burns, who ranks third in salary at his position after signing a five-year deal worth $141 million last offseason.
There is a question of age. Burns is 26. Hendrickson will turn 31 next year. The Bengals have been reluctant to give aging players big contracts in recent years.
However, last season provided examples of players who still produced in their 30s. Baltimore's Kyle Van Noy (33), Seattle's Leonard Williams (30) and Washington's Dante Fowler Jr.(30) each had 10 sacks or more this season.
And despite the fact the Bengals will have potential contract extensions for Chase and wide receiver Tee Higgins to consider, Cincinnati is currently projected to have $53 million in cap space for 2025, according to Roster Management System. That amount will also have to be used to fill out the rest of the roster, but Cincinnati could also free up cap space by shedding expensive veteran contracts for underperforming players.
There are other factors to consider, too. Hendrickson is one of the hardest-working players in Cincinnati's locker room and someone who the young defensive linemen look to emulate.
And should Cincinnati decide to invest in Hendrickson, the Bengals know exactly the type of players who they will be getting.
"He's just done it every single year since he's been here," coach Zac Taylor said after the win over Pittsburgh when referencing Hendrickson's impact. "All he does is produce... He's gonna be in there the day the season ends working out in the weight room and being ready for the next year."