Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson gets $32 million contract update after NFL Draft

Billy Heyen

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Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson gets $32 million contract update after NFL Draft image

The Cincinnati Bengals couldn't get Trey Hendrickson extended before the NFL Draft.

Now that the draft is in the books, the Bengals are on to their next order of business.

It's time to extend Hendrickson, who had 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons.

And ESPN's Bengals beat writer, Ben Baby, spells out exactly how it could go down.

Right now, Cincinnati has $23.3 million in cap space.

The Bengals could cut veterans Germaine Pratt (or trade him) and Cordell Volson.

That would save the Bengals $8.9 million in cap space for this season.

And with that $23.3M and $8.9M added together, you've got a possible $32.2 million per year deal for Hendrickson.

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That's not quite on par with Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby or Nick Bosa. But it's at least in the same ballpark.

If Hendrickson truly wants to sign with the Bengals long-term, that's probably what the deal will look like.

Cincinnati can't particularly afford to lose Hendrickson from an otherwise weak defense.

The Bengals handed out huge extensions this offseason already to wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

It's time to embrace defense winning championships by locking down Hendrickson, too.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle