\n What does this mean for edge rusher market?<\/p>\n
Watt’s deal, while not guaranteed, was undoubtedly deserved and considered by some to be inevitable. Now that it’s done, the attention turns to two more elite rushers — Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson<\/a> and Dallas’ Micah Parsons<\/a> — and an ascending star in Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hendrickson is embroiled<\/a> in his own standoff<\/a> with the Bengals, which has included public statements of dismay from Hendrickson with little suggestion the two sides are nearing a deal. With 17.5 sacks in each of his last two seasons — a mark that was the best in the NFL in 2024 — Hendrickson has a strong case<\/a> for a multi-year extension, and because Watt’s deal only moved the market forward incrementally at $1 million more per year than Garrett’s deal, Hendrickson remains in a similar negotiating position as he enters the final year of his contract. Cincinnati cleared nearly $6 million in cap space by releasing<\/a> Germaine Pratt<\/a> in early June, leaving then with $31.9 million in effective cap space, per Over The Cap, a total that would make fitting in a comparable deal for Hendrickson possible, even if it tests the limits of their budget.<\/p>\n At minimum, Watt’s deal applies additional pressure on the Bengals to work something out with Hendrickson, especially with training camp right around the corner. That doesn’t guarantee this doesn’t drag into August, though.<\/p>\n