Earlier this week, Cincinnati Bengals players reported to training camp. Trey Hendrickson was not one of them. The Bengals All-Pro defensive end is under contract for this season, but the deal pays around $16 million. Hendrickson is pushing for an extension that would include a significant pay raise that would pay last season’s NFL sack leaders a comparable salary to his peers. The 30-year-old has indicated he would sit out until a new deal is finalized.
While that still has not come to fruition, Hendrickson on Wed. July 30 did in fact report to camp, per ESPN.
But with his contract still not addressed, BetOhio.com, where you can find the best Ohio sports betting promo codes, has adjusted our odds on whose uniform Hendrickson will wear starting the season. These odds are for infotainment purposes; you will not find them at any licensed Ohio sportsbook.
Team | Odds | Percentage Chance |
Stay with Cincinnati Bengals | -450 | 81.8% |
Detroit Lions | +1300 | 7.1% |
Washington Commanders | +1900 | 5.0% |
The Field | +1550 | 6.1% |
These odds are exclusive to BetOhio.com, but Ohio sports betting operators already have futures odds for the 2025-26 NFL season posted.
In our new rankings, the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders still take up real estate on the board but see their odds lengthen. Both teams need a pass rusher, but the question becomes whether either team – or any other team –can muster the trade pieces to make Cincinnati agree to a trade. For the time being, it appears the Bengals front office remains adamant on getting a first-round pick in return.
The Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts have been on the board before. They’re longshots (included here in 'The Field'), but the Colts especially could be intriguing since former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is in that same job just a couple hours up Interstate 74.
The relationship between the Bengals and Hendrickson might not be copacetic, but there’s still a very good chance the two sides will agree to a deal. The only question is when that might happen. Hendrickson is a savvy veteran who keeps himself in shape, and while the Bengals have a new defensive coordinator in Al Golden, Hendrickson likely wouldn’t need much time to adjust to changes.
Also, the less time he spends in training camp, reduces his risk of sustaining a serious injury. You can’t eliminate the chances of any player getting hurt, especially in a game, but you can control it to an extent in the preseason.
Signing Hendrickson could shorten the Bengals’ Super Bowl odds. Oddsmakers at Fanatics Ohio Sportsbook have priced the AFC North squad at +1800 on its Super Bowl futures board. Only five teams have shorter odds.
Depending on how it’s structured, a $28 million contract could be considered a fair offer for Hendrickson, who is set to make $16 million in 2025. It’s not as much as Garrett’s deal, nor the $35 million a year the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to pay Maxx Crosby. However, both Garrett (who turns 30 on Dec. 31) and Crosby (who turns 28 on Aug. 22) are younger than Hendrickson (who turns 31 on Dec. 5).
It might seem trivial that a year can make that big of a difference, but as data from ProFootballReference.com shows, players 31 or older have registered 10 or more sacks only 65 times since 2000 – and 10 sacks would be a 43% drop in production for Hendrickson. Only 10 times over that span has a player 31 or older reached 14 sacks.
Anyone backing Cincinnati Bengals Super Bowl odds in the past two years could tear up their tickets early. The team has had back-to-back 9-8 seasons, missing the playoffs in both, after making the Super Bowl in 2021 and the AFC Championship the following year.
So 2025 could be an all-or-nothing season for the Bengals. Yes, Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins all have long-term deals in place, and the offense should continue to operate at a high level. But without improvements on defense, it’s unlikely that the Bengals can be anything better than a dark horse contender.
As of July 18, bet365 Ohio Sportsbook has the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles as the favorites to win Super Bowl 60 in February 2026, at +650 odds. Cincy’s division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, are tied for second at +700 alongside the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
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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