The Cincinnati Bengals’ offseason hasn’t gone entirely according to plan. While the team locked up stars Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins with lucrative extensions, one of their most vital defensive pieces remains in limbo. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks last season, is still without a new deal and has been holding out of offseason workouts.
The situation has sparked debate across the NFL world — and even caught the attention of a high-profile Bengals fan in Washington.
Trey Hendrickson Contract Standoff: JD Vance Says Bengals Should Pay, Calls Him Key to Super Bowl Hopes
JD Vance, the vice president to Donald Trump, is a native of Middletown, Ohio, and a lifelong Bengals supporter. He recently weighed in on Hendrickson’s contract standoff during an appearance on the “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von” podcast. His comments highlight just how much Hendrickson means not only to the team but to the city’s championship hopes.
When asked about the Bengals’ offseason drama, Vance underscored Hendrickson’s value, calling him “a generational talent.”
“It’s very hard to get a guy like that,” Vance said. “It’s kind of crazy how … I mean, I’m a big football fan, but edge rushers … it’s almost like where left tackles were 10 or 15 years ago, where everybody just realized that there’s this really underpaid position that you gotta have.”
Hendrickson certainly fits that mold. Since joining Cincinnati in 2021, he has been one of the NFL’s most efficient pass rushers: 57 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, and four consecutive Pro Bowl selections. Last season, he earned All-Pro honors and was runner-up in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Still, his current deal — set to pay him $15.8 million in 2025 — lags well behind market leaders like Myles Garrett and Nick Bosa. With what Hendrickson has produced since coming to the Bengals, his current contract looks pretty light. Hendrickson wants and deserves to be paid in line with peers who are producing similar numbers.
That tension has led to an offseason holdout, one further complicated by the Bengals’ first-round 2025 NFL Draft selection of Shemar Stewart, who did not report to OTAs due to his own rookie contract dispute.
Vance, like many in Who Dey Nation, hopes the team will resolve Hendrickson’s deal soon. In typical podcast banter, host Theo Von joked about whether the government might step in.
“That’s the million-dollar question,” Vance quipped. “Or, I guess, the $50 million-dollar question.”
Von said in jest, “Are y’all gonna subsidize that? Is that part of your Big [Beautiful Bill]?”
“That’s actually unknown… part of the Big Beautiful Bill is $30 million to the Bengals to help with salary cap space,” Vance joked.
All humor aside, Vance knows Hendrickson’s importance to Cincinnati’s Super Bowl aspirations.
“I think we’re going to have to pay Hendrickson,” said Vance. “Here’s what I have to say to Trey, if you’re watching the show: If you’re a Republican, I will show up to a Bengals game and take a photo with you if you sign with the Bengals. And if you’re a Democrat, I’ll stay the hell away.
“Just sign with the Bengals because we got a chance, man. I say this every year, but with [Joe] Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, if we get our defense and our offensive line, we could have a true championship run.”
For now, that run hinges on whether the Bengals’ front office chooses to bridge the gap with one of the league’s best pass rushers. With mandatory minicamp approaching on June 10, the next few days could be pivotal in determining whether Hendrickson will be part of Cincinnati’s 2025 plans — or watching from the sidelines.