The prevailing assumption is that Trey Hendrickson’s days in Cincinnati are over. However, Bengals general manager Duke Tobin wouldn’t set that in stone.
Speaking to SiriusXM NFL Radio this week, Tobin was asked if there was any chance the running back would be a Bengal in 2026.
“I will never rule out any possibility,” he said. “He’s a good footballer. So is there a chance he’ll join us? We’re in the business of good footballers, so I can’t rule it out. But I don’t know what the future holds.”
It would cost north of $30 million this season to acquire Hendrickson’s rights with the franchise tag, with a salary cap hit of $36.7 million for Cincinnati. Given the way last year unfolded, that move seems untenable, but Tobin didn’t show his cards.
“And as far as the label, we’re still going through that,” the GM said. “I don’t have a definite answer there. We have resources and how we implement them are things that will come out. Unfortunately, this event never really gives me a chance to be transparent. It really doesn’t because it falls when it falls. We’re not going to announce our intentions for 31 other teams to know, you know, that’s or it’s still struggling that we’re dealing with exactly. best to go for it. That’s where we are at the moment.”