The best player expected to potentially be available on the trade market this year is Cincinnati Bengals ED Trey Hendrickson. After all the very public negotiating and trade talks over the summer, the Bengals did manage to strike a compromise deal with Hendrickson right before the start of the season. He’s still only under contract for this year, however, leading to speculation that the Bengals might be open to moving him.
All summer, Hendrickson was holding out of training camp and demanding a new deal. He was sitting about $20 million below the top of the market for his position despite leading the league in sacks between 2023 and 2024. He was significantly underpaid, but the Bengals almost never hand out third contracts. They were at an impasse, and at one point Hendrickson even left the state to make a statement.
Eventually, a revised deal was agreed upon by both parties. Hendrickson is still playing on an expiring deal, but he received an $8 million bump in salary and more in guarantees. When he signed the contract, only T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Danielle Hunter, Maxx Crosby and Nick Bosa had a higher average annual value among edge rushers (Micah Parsons has since been added to that list).
Despite all the offseason drama, Hendrickson is putting together another monster season. He has 15 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defensed on the year. PFF grades him as the ninth-best edge rusher through six games, with an elite 90.4 pass rush grade and 23 pressures. Hendrickson is every bit still a game-changing pass rusher, even though he’ll turn 31 later this season.
Back when there were trade talks going down late in the summer, the Bengals were believed to be asking for a first-round pick and a young defensive player in return for Hendrickson, though that player didn’t necessarily have to be a pass rusher. Cincy drafted Shemar Stewart in the first round this year to be Hendrickson’s long-term replacement, and Stewart’s flashed in limited playing time. He’s not Hendrickson though.
At the time, insiders doubted whether Cincinnati could recoup a first-round pick in a trade, as they lost quite a bit of leverage by not dealing Hendrickson prior to the draft. The balance may have shifted back slightly in their favor, as there are plenty of contenders who are desperate to add a pass rusher, but the Bengals are stuck, too. If they don’t trade Hendrickson now, they risk him walking in free agency next year, and they’ll have gotten nothing out of it.
Any trade for Hendrickson will require at least a second-round pick and probably a player too. There’s a chance the Bengals will insist on a first-round pick, and they might get one. There are other pass rushers sure to be available on the market, but it’s rare for one of Hendrickson’s caliber to shake loose. When they do, it usually takes quite a haul to get them in the building.
Trading Hendrickson would create $15.6 million in dead money for the Bengals, and the acquiring team would take what’s left of his $16 million base salary. Teams technically could view Hendrickson as just a rental for the rest of the season, but he’d be an extremely expensive one. More likely, they’d want to sign him to an extension to ensure he’ll stick around in future years, and that would be expensive as well. Any team looking to bring him on would likely need to play some cap games to fit him into the budget for this year.
Below, I’ve outlined seven contenders that could be interested in trading for Hendrickson. Let’s dive in:
San Francisco 49ers
Let’s start with the team that’s been open about its desire to trade for a pass rusher. 49ers GM Jason Licht said they were looking to make an addition after Bosa for the year to a torn ACL. San Francisco is 4-2 and tied with the Rams and Seahawks atop the extremely competitive NFC West division, but injuries continue to mount for them, complicating any potential deals.
It’s not just Bosa. This 49ers team is extremely beat-up, with key pieces such as QB Brock Purdy, TE George Kittle, WR Ricky Pearsall, G Ben Bartch, OT Spencer Burford, and ED Yetur Gross-Matos all currently out. No. 1 WR Brandon Aiyuk is still working his way back from a season-ending knee injury sustained midway through 2024, and his return doesn’t appear to be imminent. Fellow WR Jauan Jennings revealed on Sunday he’s playing through five broken ribs, a high- and low-ankle sprain, and a shoulder that’s at “20 percent” — a truly insane feat of toughness.
Most relevant to a potential trade for Hendrickson, All-Pro LB Fred Warner suffered a dislocated and fractured ankle in Sunday’s loss to the Bucs. If there were two players on this team the 49ers absolutely could not afford to lose, they would be Bosa and Warner. Now they’re both done for the season.
The injury to Warner creates a legitimate question whether the 49ers should sink short-term resources into a defense riddled by injuries. However, the 49ers remain in prime playoff position. Before the trade deadline, they play the Falcons, Texans and Giants, and will likely be favored in all three games. There’s a good chance they’re 7-2 at the deadline, though their -3 point differential suggests they might not be quite as good as their record indicates. Regardless, if the 49ers feel they are primed to contend this year, getting Hendrickson would be a huge boost to an injured defense.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are another team sniffing around the trade market for pass rushers, likely with even more urgency now that ED Za’Darius Smith just announced his retirement. Both EDs Nolan Smith and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo are on IR currently, leaving the Eagles thin on the edge. Azeez Ojulari, Jalyx Hunt and Joshua Uche are the three healthy pass rushers in Philadelphia.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman is one of the most aggressive GMs in the league. If there’s a deal to be made, he’s not afraid to pursue it. If he feels he can improve his team with a trade, he’ll make it. There’s no doubt Philly needs help at edge defender, and some sort of deal is almost a guarantee at this point.
The only question is if the Eagles would be willing to part with the assets it’ll take to acquire Hendrickson, or if they’ll prefer a smaller deal for a rotational player. Smith shouldn’t be on IR too much longer, so perhaps Roseman won’t feel the need to break the bank. They could go after someone like Darrell Taylor from Houston instead, if they wanted a cheaper player.
One thing to keep an eye on: there’s a growing sentiment around the league that star WR A.J. Brown may be on the move before the deadline. He’s expressed his frustration with the Eagles’ offense, and they tried to feed him the ball a lot more these last two weeks. It didn’t lead to wins, though, nor was the offense all that successful. While the Eagles insist Brown isn’t going anywhere, there’s been some reporting that they could be open to the right offer. Perhaps Roseman will send out Brown and use some of those assets to go after a big fish on defense like Hendrickson.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts were one of the teams that picked up the phone to ask about Hendrickson back in the summer before he agreed to his revised deal with the Bengals. They’ve been one of the best teams in the league through six weeks, but their offense has carried their defense a bit. The need for a player like Hendrickson hasn’t materially changed despite their success.
Second-year ED Laiatu Latu is emerging into the player Indy expected him to be when they took him at No. 15 overall last year, the first defender off the board. But ED Kwity Paye is more of an edge-setter in the run game than a dynamic pass rusher, and EDs Tyquan Lewis and Samson Ebukam are fine rotation pieces but not difference-makers. Second-round ED JT Tuimoloau has been a healthy scratch for three of Indy’s six games. The Colts’ pass rush would be better described as solid, not great. They rank outside the top half of the league in most pass rush metrics.
Trading for Hendrickson would give the Colts one of the elite edge rusher duos in the league and completely transform their defense. Not for nothing, it would also reunite him with DC Lou Anarumo, who was his coach for his entire Bengals tenure. If the Colts were at least willing to inquire about him over the summer, perhaps they’d follow up now, especially since they’re competing for one of the top seeds in the AFC.
Cornerback is a much bigger need for the Colts, so their efforts may be focused there. Still, there’s nothing stopping them from making more than one trade. Colts GM Chris Ballard isn’t known for making these types of mid-season trades, but he’s bucked a few trends of his this year to great success. Perhaps he’ll do it again.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Don’t be surprised to see the Bucs get involved here. Injuries have decimated this team, but Tampa Bay is still 5-1, with its sights set on the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield might be the MVP frontrunner at this point, and the offense should get healthier as the season progresses.
Tampa Bay ED Haason Reddick has been a huge success as a flier in free agency, but aside from him and second-year ED YaYa Diaby, this defense doesn’t have much in the way of pass rushers. Rookie David Walker is out for the year, with Chris Braswell and Anthony Nelson backing up Diaby and Reddick.
The Buccaneers could use a difference-making pass rusher, and Hendrickson certainly fits that bill. It wouldn’t be cheap, but Bucs GM Jason Licht has been willing to take big swings to help the team in the past. This defense is on shaky ground right now, but Hendrickson would be a stabilizing force.
New England Patriots
Another team that inquired about Hendrickson over the summer, the Patriots are sitting tied atop the AFC East through six weeks with a win over the Bills. Riding a three-game win streak and with one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league, New England should be taken seriously in the AFC playoff race. They only face three teams currently above .500 the rest of the way: the Falcons, Bucs and Bills.
Getting CB Christian Gonzalez back from injury is huge for this defense, as he’s key to everything they want to do on the back end. But pass rusher is a major weakness for this team right now. The interior of the Patriots’ defensive line is deep and productive, but their two starters on the edge are Harold Landry III and K’Lavon Chaisson. Third-year ED Keion White hasn’t developed into a reliable starter and Anfernee Jennings is rather publicly on the trade block.
Second-year QB Drake Maye is playing like one of the truly elite passers in the NFL this season. New HC Mike Vrabel has this team humming and there’s excitement in New England that they could be building something special. Why not go out and get Hendrickson to take this defense over the top? He might not be on the same timeline as the rest of the roster, but if the Pats feel they can truly compete for a Super Bowl in the next two years, he’d be a good addition.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are open to adding a piece on the defensive line, and depth is certainly a concern. Starting EDs Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker make a great duo off the edge, with Arik Armstead in the middle. But Emmanuel Ogbah isn’t playing well, and there isn’t much in the way of depth besides him.
Now, the complicating factor here is that the Jaguars don’t have a first-round pick in next year’s draft after the Travis Hunter trade. That limits their ability to negotiate, especially if there’s a bidding war for Hendrickson’s services. I also doubt they’d be willing to part with Walker or especially Hines-Allen in any potential trade.
Still, the Hunter deal proves GM James Gladstone isn’t afraid to make big moves to help the team. Jacksonville is 4-2 and just a game behind the Colts in the AFC South — they’re competitive this year, and Hendrickson would of course make their defense that much more dangerous.
Los Angeles Rams
Lastly, the Rams deserve a mention here. Unlike most of the other teams listed here, the Rams already have an elite pass rush. Bookend EDs Jared Verse and Byron Young are two of the elites at their position, and third-rounder Josaiah Stewart is making an early impact. When you include interior guys like Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner and Poona Ford, it’s safe to say the Rams have the best defensive line in football (with apologies to the Browns).
That said, Rams GM Les Snead is known for making splashy additions to put a team over the line. Why limit yourself to three great edge rushers when you could have four? Back in 2021, the Rams made a similar move, acquiring Von Miller from the Browns to chase a Super Bowl. That move ended up being key in Los Angeles winning it all this year, and they could look to replicate it this year as one of the favorites in the NFC.
Additionally, the Rams have an extra first-round pick in next year’s draft after they traded out of the first round this year with the Falcons. That extra ammo could be huge in this trade, as they could easily outbid most of their competition if they wanted to. Realistically, they might be more comfortable offering the Bengals a first-round pick for Hendrickson than most other teams, which could be key in getting the deal done.
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