The Bengals are not using a franchise or transition tag on defensive end Trey Hendrickson and that means Hendrickson will be free to move on to another team as a free agent when the new league year gets underway next week.
Hendrickson made it clear that he intends to do exactly that on Tuesday afternoon.
In a post to his Instagram account, Hendrickson expressed gratitude to the Bengals, his teammates, coaches and the team’s fans for his five years in Cincinnati. He called the city home “now and forever” before ending the farewell message.
Hendrickson posted 61 sacks in his 72 regular season games with the Bengals and added 3.5 more during the team’s run to the Super Bowl after the 2021 season. That pass rushing ability should make him a coveted player once teams can start negotiating with free agents around the league next week.
This year, Trey Hendrickson will be able to move on from the Bengals.
According to multiple reports, Cincinnati will not use the franchise tag on Hendrickson before the Tuesday afternoon deadline.
Hendrickson, 31, went through a long negotiation over his contract with the team last offseason, which resulted in Hendrickson getting a raise just before the season. But he did not have any more years added to his deal.
Due to injury, Hendrickson was able to play just seven games in 2025, recording 4.0 sacks with three tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits.
In 2024, Hendrickson made his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, having recorded a league-leading 17.5 sacks with 19 tackles for loss, and a career-high 36 quarterback hits.
Hendrickson joined the Bengals in 2021 after spending his first four seasons with New Orleans. But at this point, it appears Hendrickson will be headed elsewhere for 2026 after five years with the club.
In 117 career games with 88 starts, Hendrickson has recorded 81.0 sacks with 74 tackles for loss and 163 quarterback hits.
The NFL is a deadline-driven business. And an important annual deadline arrives today.
The two-week window for applying the franchise or transition tag closes at 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
There’s really no reason for a two-week period. All that matters is the end, not the beginning. And while there’s some value in applying the tag before the Scouting Combine as a way to short-circuit tampering efforts, only two teams put the word out before things got rolling in Indianapolis that key players would be off-limits — Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. and Cowboys receiver George Pickens.
Will there be more? Obviously, if any will happen, it will happen today.
The players to watch are Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (and, if they work out a deal with him today, Colts receiver Alec Pierce), Jets running back Breece Hall, and Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
If no additional tags are applied, it will be the second straight year with only two. And the two applied in 2025 were the fewest since 2006.
Time will tell. And the clock is ticking. We’ll know at 4:00 p.m. ET who is, and isn’t, blocked from the open market by the franchise or transition tag.
The Bengals got a deal done with right guard Dalton Risner on Monday and Risner credited one of his teammates with helping to pave the way to the agreement.
Risner joined the Bengals last August and made 11 starts in his first year with the team. A number of those starts came with Joe Burrow at quarterback for Cincinnati and Risner said on Monday that he believes the quarterback’s push to keep him in Cincinnati led to the new one-year deal.
“This deal wouldn’t have been done without guys like Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow pushed for me this whole offseason,” Risner said, via the team’s website. “He checked in. He wanted me there. Amarius Mims was outspoken. I had so many people. My offensive line coach. Zac Taylor. I just felt like I had so many people that pulled for me that I don’t think this would have gotten done without them.”
Re-signing Risner means that the Bengals are set to have their five primary offensive linemen back for another season and it stands to reason that Burrow thinks that arrangement will be a good thing for his pass protection during the 2026 season. That would be a good thing for Burrow’s health and having him around for the entire season should also be a plus for the Bengals as a whole.
Dalton Risner joined the Bengals shortly before the start of the 2025 season, but he won’t be waiting nearly as long to make his plans for 2026.
Risner’s wife announced on X.com Monday that her husband will remain with the Bengals. Risner is listed as No. 81 on PFT’s list of this year’s top free agents.
No terms of Risner’s agreement with the Bengals were included in his wife’s announcement.
Risner signed with the Bengals in late August and made 11 starts at right guard during the 2025 season. Risner started 19 games in two seasons with the Vikings before moving on to Cincinnati and started 62 games for the Broncos over his first four seasons in the league.
UPDATE 9:13 a.m. ET: Risner’s agents announced that it is a one-year deal worth up to $5 million.
Teams making decisions about picking up the fifth-year options on the contracts of their 2023 first-round picks now know how much that will cost.
The NFL revealed the values on Friday afternoon. There are four levels of compensation at each position. Players who have made multiple Pro Bowls as an original selection are at the top followed by players with one Pro Bowl selection and players who have hit playing time milestones before reaching the lowest level.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud were the first two picks of that draft and both of them reached the playing time level of compensation. That will leave them with fully guaranteed salaries of $25.904 million if the teams decide to exercise the options, but longer-term extensions are also a possibility now that they have finished their third seasons.
The full list of 2023 first-rounders — there were 31 that year because the Dolphins were stripped of their pick — and their fifth-year option salaries appears below:
1. Panthers QB Bryce Young — $25.904 million (playing time).
2. Texans QB C.J. Stroud — $25.904 million (playing time).
3. Texans DE Will Anderson — $21.512 (Pro Bowl).
4. Colts QB Anthony Richardson — $22.483 million (base).
5. Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon — $21.161 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
6. Cardinals OT Paris Johnson — $19.072 million (playing time).
7. Raiders DE Tyree Wilson — $14.475 million (base).
8. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson — $11.323 million (Pro Bowl).
9. Eagles DT Jalen Carter — $27.127 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
10. Bears OT Darnell Wright — $19.072 million (playing time).
11. Titans OG Peter Skoronski — $19.072 million (playing time).
12. Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs — $14.293 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
13. Packers DE Lukas Van Ness — $14.475 million (base).
14. Steelers OT Broderick Jones — $19.072 million (playing time).
15. Jets DE Will McDonald — $14.475 million (base).
16. Rams CB Emmanuel Forbes — $12.633 million (base).
17. Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez — $18.119 million (Pro Bowl).
18. Lions LB Jack Campbell — $21.925 million (Pro Bowl).
19. Buccaneers DT Calijah Kancey — $15.451 (playing time).
20. Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba — $23.852 million (Pro Bowl).
21. Chargers WR Quentin Johnston — $18 million (playing time).
22. Ravens WR Zay Flowers — $27.298 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
23. Vikings WR Jordan Addison — $18 million (playing time).
24. Giants CB Deonte Banks — $12.633 million (base).
25. Bills TE Dalton Kincaid — $8.162 million (base).
26. Jets DT Mazi Smith — $13.391 million (base) Smith was traded to the Jets by the Cowboys.
27. Jaguars OT Anton Harrison — $19.072 million (playing time).
28. Bengals DE Myles Murphy — $14.475 million (base).
29. Saints DT Bryan Bresee — $13.391 million (base).
30. Eagles LB Nolan Smith — $13.752 million (base).
31. Chiefs Felix Anudike-Uzomah — $14.475 million (base).
For nearly two decades, Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh were head coaches in the AFC North.
Really, the division was one of the most stable in football, as there had not been a coaching change since the Browns hired Kevin Stefanski in 2020.
But that changed in a hurry in January, as the Browns fired Stefanski, the Ravens fired Harbaugh, and Tomlin resigned from the Steelers.
That leaves Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor, hired in 2019, as the AFC North’s longest-tenured coach.
“Well, it’s strange,” Taylor said at the scouting combine this week when asked how it feels to be the most senior coach in the division. “You know, I’ve got a lot of respect for those three guys I’ve been competing against the last few years, and obviously great coaches and [they] have had a lot of success. So, it’s a little strange, but I’m sure that I’ll get used to it very quickly.”
How has the landscape of the division changed now?
“Not for me to sit here and say today,” Taylor said. “Maybe those teams will evolve in different ways than they have over the last couple years. Kind of impossible for me to say but exciting for us. We’ve got continuity. We’ve got to capitalize on that and continue to build and move forward.”
The Bengals do have continuity at some of the most important positions, with Taylor, quarterback Joe Burrow, offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, and defensive coordinator Al Golden all returning for 2026. We’ll see if that continuity turns into on-field success after Cincinnati finished 6-11 in 2025.
Defensive end Trey Hendrickson was looking for a long-term deal with the Bengals for the last couple of years, but never got the contract he desired before playing out the final year of his current pact in 2025.
There’s no sign that the Bengals and Hendrickson have made progress toward a multi-year agreement and the team is keeping the door open to extending their hold on Hendrickson via the franchise tag this offseason. Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said at a Tuesday press conference that the prospect of the team using a tag on Hendrickson, who ended the season on injured reserve after core muscle surgery, is “not something I’m gonna talk about.”
“I don’t throw anything on or off the table with Trey, and we’re excited about attacking this offseason,” Tobin said, via Ben Baby of ESPN.com. “We have resources to attack the offseason in a big way, and we want to do that.”
A tag would come with a salary of $30.2 million for the 2026 season and Tobin was asked about the prospect of tagging Hendrickson with the intent to trade him to another club.
“All trades are difficult,” Tobin said. “You got to find a partner and you have to find somebody that you have to have some cooperation with your players that you’re talking about this with. Trades can be complicated and that hypothetical scenario would be very complicated.”
Hendrickson has been with the Bengals since 2021. He posted 57 sacks in his first four seasons before notching four in his seven 2025 appearances.
The following are PFT’s top 100 free agents for the start of the 2026 league year. The rankings include prospective unrestricted free agents and released players. The list will be updated as events warrant, with signings, tags and re-signings denoted when announced and/or reported. Players released after initial publication may be added and all 100 players initially on the list will still be listed after any additions.
1. Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens. (Placed the franchise tag on him on February 27.)
2. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. (Placed the transition tag on him on March 3.)
3. Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum.
4. Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd.
5. Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
6. Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts. (Placed the franchise tag on him on February 24.)
7. Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce.
8. Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson.
9. Jets running back Breece Hall. (Placed the franchise tag on him on March 3.)
10. Packers quarterback Malik Willis.
11. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
12. Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean.
13. Seahawks WR/KR/PR Rashid Shaheed.
14. Packers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker.
15. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker.
16. Colts offensive tackle Braden Smith.
17. Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean.
18. Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe.
19. Packers linebacker Quay Walker.
20. Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal.
21. Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans.
22. Seahawks defensive back Coby Bryant.
23. 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
24. Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs.
25. Jaguars running back Travis Etienne.
26. Broncos edge rusher John Franklin-Myers.
27. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
28. Eagles edge rusher Jaelen Phillips.
29. Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
30. Bills center Connor McGovern.
31. Jets guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
32. Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen.
33. Chiefs safety Bryan Cook.
34. Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright.
35. Bills edge rusher Joey Bosa.
36. Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb.
37. Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely.
38. Chargers edge rusher Odafe Oweh.
39. Steelers offensive guard Isaac Seumalo.
40. Lions defensive tackle D.J. Reader.
41. Browns linebacker Devin Bush.
42. Bears safety Jaquan Brisker.
43. Rams safety Kamren Curl.
44. Bills offensive guard David Edwards.
45. Patriots edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson.
46. Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
47. Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor.
48. Chargers offensive guard Zion Johnson.
49. Browns offensive guard Joel Bitonio.
50. Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert.
51. Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone.
52. Panthers center Cade Mays.
53. Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack.
54. Bears safety Kevin Byard.
55. Colts edge rusher Kwity Paye.
56. Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss.
57. Ravens edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones.
58. Browns offensive guard Wyatt Teller.
59. Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad.
60. Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner.
61. Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.
62. Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins.
63. Cowboys edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
64. Saints linebacker Demario Davis.
65. Panthers running back Rico Dowdle.
66. Falcons edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie.
67. Titans offensive guard Kevin Zeitler.
68. Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins.
69. Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson.
70. Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton.
71. Saints edge rusher Cameron Jordan.
72. Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe.
73. Giants offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.
74. Commanders center Tyler Biadasz.
75. Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk.
76. Browns tight end David Njoku.
77. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
78. Giants offensive guard Greg Van Roten.
79. Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota.
80. Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown.
81. Falcons defensive tackle David Onyemata.
82. Bucs linebacker Lavonte David.
83. Bengals guard Dalton Risner. (Re-signed with Bengals on March 2.)
84. Vikings safety Harrison Smith.
85. Giants quarterback Russell Wilson.
86. Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
87. Jets safety Andre Cisco.
88. Buccaneers running back Rachaad White.
89. Packers edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare.
90. Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen.
91. Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas.
92. Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins.
93. Titans tight end Chig Okonwko.
94. Eagles safety Reed Blankenship.
95. Raiders offensive guard Dylan Parham.
96. Browns safety Rayshawn Jenkins.
97. Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton.
98. Broncos outside linebacker Justin Strnad.
99. Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco.
100. Colts cornerback Mike Hilton.
101. Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones.
102. Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier.
The Cowboys waived linebacker Logan Wilson on Friday, the team announced.
The move will save the team $6.5 million against the salary cap.
The Cowboys traded with the Bengals for Wilson at the trade deadline, giving up a seventh-round pick.
Wilson played 224 snaps in seven games, one of those a start, and totaled 24 tackles, a forced fumble and a pass defensed. He had no snaps in the Week 16 game against the Commanders.
The Bengals benched Wilson for rookie Barrett Carrett, prompting the veteran to ask for a trade. In eight games with Cincinnati, Wilson had 46 tackles and four pass breakups.
The Bengals made Wilson a third-round pick in 2020, and he started 65 of 76 games he played for the team.
