Fans of the Cincinnati Bengals finally got the good news they’d been waiting to hear for more than a year late Sunday night, when it was reported the AFC Central team reached record deals for wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Shortly after that news broke, some Bengals insiders reported that the Higgins and Chase deals could have an impact on the team retaining star defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson remains under contract for the upcoming season, but this month the team granted him permission to seek a trade. The sides had reached an impasse over an extension and a significant pay raise.
As Who Dey Nation waits with bated breath, BetOhio.com has developed and updated odds on where Hendrickson may play this fall. As a reminder, these odds are for infotainment purposes only. You will not find them with any Ohio sports betting operator.
Team | Odds | Percentage Chance |
Cincinnati Bengals (Contract Ext.) | -300 | 75.0% |
Washington Commanders | +900 | 10.0% |
Indianapolis Colts | 1900 | 5.0% |
The Field | +900 | 10.0% |
Chase, who has odds of +1000 at DraftKings Ohio Sportsbook to win the 2025-26 Offensive Player of the Year Award, and Higgins are guaranteed to stay Bengals for the next few seasons. Now we rate the Bengals as the favorite to keep Hendrickson in the fold as well.
Some in social media circles criticized the Bengals for giving Chase a four-year deal worth more than $40 million per year – a record amount for a non-quarterback – and giving Higgins a four-year deal valued at nearly $29 million annually, which is also the highest ever for a No. 2 receiver. Those critics argued spending that much on two receivers would constrain the Bengals from plugging holes they have on the offensive line and in the defense. Those flaws help keep Cincinnati in the middle of the pack for futures wagers from operators offering Ohio sportsbook promotions.
Despite the high salaries, reports indicated those WR contracts would be structured to have lower salary cap hits for in the earlier years. That would, in theory, free up cap space for the Bengals to sign their All-Pro defensive end who led the league in sacks last season.
There had been concerns about whether Bengals and Hendrickson could reach a deal after the Las Vegas Raiders signed defensive end Maxx Crosby to a new deal worth $35 million annually and the Cleveland Browns retained Myles Garrett with a contract averaging $40 million in annual salary.
There is still a risk in extending Hendrickson, who just turned 30. As we noted previously, the data from recent years shows that defensive ends and pass-rushing linebackers see their productivity fall off significantly after they turn 30.
Still, Hendrickson has maintained his health through his first four seasons with the Bengals. He started all 17 games in each of the past two seasons and has never appeared in fewer than 15 in any season with Cincinnati. He also has been part of a rotation with other defensive ends, playing 72.5% of the team’s defensive snaps last season and 67.8% of them in 2023.
With younger ends Myles Murphy and Joseph Ossai also on the roster, Hendrickson could play fewer snaps in 2025 in the team’s effort to keep him healthy for an expected playoff run.
Though the team missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, oddsmakers still consider the Bengals a serious contender for Super Bowl LX next February. Fanatics Ohio Sportsbook has Cincinnati priced at +1600. That’s tied with the Washington Commanders for the sixth-shortest price on Fanatics’ futures board.
USA Today Network photo by Albert Cesare/The Enquirer
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Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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