Bengals Set to Cut Key Players to Keep Hendrickson

The Cincinnati Bengals have tied up a good chunk of their salary cap in three offensive players. Obviously, they had to pay star quarterback Joe Burrow his five-year, $275 million contract, that’s just the cost of doing business in today’s NFL. And then, they just gave big deals to wide receiver studs Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. But, because they’d used up all of that cap space, what does that mean for everyone else

Trey Hendrickson is due $18 million on the final year of his contract this season. Not chump change, but the 30-year old is coming off back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons, the latter of which led the NFL. Even if the Bengals want to sign him (he’s requested a trade, but nothing has happened yet. Katie Blackburn doesn’t seem like she’s dying to keep him).

Maybe the Bengals could make some room to give him some more money if they just moved some things around. Specifically, it sounds like they could release linebacker Germaine Pratt and possibly left guard Cordell Volson.

What kind of money would that free up?

Paul Dehner, Jr. of the Athletic speculates that the Bengals will indeed release Pratt this offseason. Pratt has requested a trade, probably because he knows they want to cut him and he won’t make close to the $5.6 million that he’s due if he were moved.

“Speaking of gone, it shouldn’t be long until the Bengals release 2024 captain Pratt and save the $5.6 million against the cap,” Dehner Jr. wrote.

Cutting Volson would save roughly $3.7 million of his salary.

That money – in theory, don’t forget the Bengals are thrifty – could be used to push some money up front into this year and possibly into a two-year deal. Anything is possible, but a lengthy, blockbuster extension doesn’t seem likely for a guy that’s looking at the other side of 30.

What’s next for Pratt?

Mike Moraitis of Sports Illustrated thinks Pratt will find a home in free agency, but that his play has tapered off in recent years and a trade probably isn’t likely.

“Once a playoff hero for the Bengals, Pratt has seen his play decline in recent years,” Maraitis writes. “However, he’s still a quality linebacker and should draw interest on the open market, assuming the Bengals fail to find a trade partner.

“The Bengals appear to be preparing for life without Pratt. Of their six draft picks last weekend, two of them were linebackers, with Cincinnati taking Demetrius Knight Jr. in the second round, and Barrett Carter in the fourth.

“The signing of Oren Burks is another sign that Pratt won’t be long for Cincinnati. The team also has Logan Wilson, who is a locked-in starter in the middle of the Bengals’ defense.”

While the Bengals will save $5.6 million by cutting Pratt, they will also incur a dead-cap hit of a little over $2 million, which shouldn’t be a major obstacle if they truly want to keep Hendrickson around for another year or two.