Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson didn’t go on injured reserve while attempting to get back quickly from a nagging injury that might require surgery in the offseason. But the comeback hasn’t happened for Hendrickson just yet, with Bengals head coach Zac Taylor almost oddly ruling the All-Pro pass-rusher out almost a week before kickoff against the Buffalo Bills. Strange things around Hendrickson’s injury aside, it’s worth considering next offseason, too. Bill Barnwell of ESPN recently (and very accurately) pointed out that Hendrickson is at serious risk of causing himself some problems in free agency now:“Hendrickson was understandably hoping to land a multiyear deal at the top of the edge rusher market this past offseason, but after an injury-impacted 2025, that’s not going to happen in free agency. If he can make it back before the end of the season and look like his old self, there should be significant interest in free agency for a player who created nearly twice as many sacks as any other player in football for himself and his teammates in 2024. If he misses the rest of the season, though, he will probably be looking at a one-year deal in the range of the $12.6 million that Joey Bosa signed in Buffalo.”RELATED: Former NFL head coach thinks Bengals could win out, make playoffsPart of the reason the Bengals weren’t able to trade Hendrickson (not that they really wanted to) was because of the fact he’s now 31 years old and worthy of top-of-market money. Now, Hendrickson has had a season derailed by injuries adding to that list of negatives. If Hendrickson can get back over the final month of the season and look like his usual self, this narrative will flip a bit. But even in the land of overpays that is free agency, it’s safe to think the next contract for Hendrickson has started to take a hit. Keep in mind, too, that when the Bengals and Hendrickson re-did his contract before the season, reports said it didn’t include a no-tag clause. They could, technically, franchise tag him at roughly the same cost for 2026, which, if this keeps up, might be the best money option for him, too. RELATED: Bengals listed as ideal landing spot for…Mike Tomlin?This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Trey Hendrickson injury impacting trip to free agency, next contract?