Bengals, Trey Hendrickson end complicated contract drama after team decides against franchise tag

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Trey Hendrickson may finally be able to get the long-term deal he was searching for since last offseason after the Cincinnati Bengals decided not use their franchise tag on the star defensive end. 

Hendrickson penned a goodbye to fans after Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET NFL deadline, which marked the end of teams being able to place a franchise tag on players. 

"To the organization: Thank you for the opportunity to play the game I love at the highest level," he wrote in his Instagram caption. "The last five years have been filled with great wins and tough losses. Personal achievements and humbling adversities. 

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Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson holds up a finger after a defensive stop with four seconds left in the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field in Denver, Colo., Dec. 19, 2021. (Albert Cesare/The Enquirer/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

"I was and always will be proud to have worn the Cincinnati Bengals logo and honor the history behind it."

The Bengals never ruled out the possibility of tagging Hendrickson to try to get him under contract once more, or, at the very least, acquiring some draft capital by pursuing a trade with another team. 

But Duke Tobin, the Bengals’ director of player personnel, said at the NFL Scouting Combine last week that the latter option isn’t as simple as it sounds. 

"You have to find a partner. You have to have cooperation with your players. Trades can be complicated," Tobin said, per ESPN.

Hendrickson would’ve also