Veteran pass rusher Hendrickson thanked the Cincinnati Bengals organization and the city of Cincinnati in an Instagram post Tuesday, marking the end of his five-year tenure with the franchise.
"The last 5 years have been filled with great wins & tough losses," Hendrickson wrote. "Personal achievements & humbling adversities. I was & always will be proud to have worn the Cincinnati Bengals logo & honor the history behind it. Cincinnati is Home. Now & Forever."
Hendrickson’s departure comes just after the 4 p.m. ET franchise tag deadline, effectively closing a chapter defined by both on-field success and off-field negotiations. The last few years with the Bengals included extended contract disputes, trade requests, and a short-term resolution, leaving his long-term future in Cincinnati uncertain. With his revised one-year deal now set to expire, the team appears ready to move on without the 2024 All-Pro.
On the field, Hendrickson delivered back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024, bolstering his market value as he approached his 31st birthday. However, his 2025 season was limited to just seven games — his first single-digit total since 2018 — after a core muscle injury required season-ending surgery in early December.
At 31, Hendrickson enters free agency for the first time since 2021, poised for what could be his final major contract. Teams looking to upgrade their edge defense are expected to be among his suitors.
