5 NFL Teams That Should Target Trey Hendrickson amid Contract Frustration, Rumors

The Cincinnati Bengals have repeatedly stressed this offseason that they plan to lock up integral stars Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson. However, one of the three remains without a long-term deal.

While Cincinnati extended both Chase and Higgins in mid-March, it has yet to gain traction on a new deal with Hendrickson. According to the NFL's reigning sacks leader, there has been little real communication, and he voiced his frustration on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday.

"Communication has been poor over the last couple months," he said (h/t Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek).

The Bengals have allowed the 30-year-old to seek a trade this offseason but have sent mixed messages to the rest of the league. The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported on March 13 that interested teams found Cincinnati's asking price to be "ridiculous."

With Hendrickson openly unhappy with the entire situation, though, teams may find a new window in which to approach Cincinnati with more reasonable trade offers.

Here, we'll dive a bit further into the pass-rusher's contract situation and examine five teams that should make a push for Hendrickson ahead of the 2025 NFL draft.

Hendrickson Finds Contract Situation 'Frustrating'

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It would seem the Bengals have intentionally placed an asking price on Hendrickson that will discourage other teams from making firm offers. At the same time, though, they've appeared unwilling to pay him the going rate for top-tier pass-rushers.

According to ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, Cincinnati's offer has been in the range of $28 million per year. That's substantially lower than Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, Danielle Hunter and Nick Bosa, who all earn north of $34 million annually.

Hendrickson's frustration seems to stem from his team's unwillingness to budge from its preferred price point—and its desire to place blame on the player for not having an extension done already.

"I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point, and if he's not, you know, that's what holds it up sometimes," executive vice president Katie Blackburn said on Tuesday, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Naturally, Hendrickson was less than pleased with that stance.

"That was a little disappointing because communication has been poor over the last couple months," he told The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday. "That's something I hold in high regard, and they have not communicated with my agent directly. It's been something that's a little bit frustrating."

With no resolution in sight, the public back-and-forth may only increase the possibility of Hendrickson refusing to play for Cincinnati this season.

"I think it's entirely possible, based on what I'm hearing, for him to sit out the year if he doesn't get a new deal," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler told SportsCenter last month (h/t B/R's Andrew Peters). "I think that's his mindset right now."

If Hendrickson is truly willing to sit out in 2025, the Bengals may have to accept that trading him for a reasonable package has become their best option. And teams in need of a premier pass-rusher should take the opportunity to pounce.

New England Patriots

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Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel

Patriots Get: Edge Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Get: 2025 second-round pick (38th overall)

We should start by examining teams that can afford to pay Hendrickson top-of-the-market value. According to Russini, while clubs haven't been willing to meet Cincinnati's asking price, they are willing to meet the player's contract demands.

Even after a flurry of early offseason activity, the New England Patriots still lead the league with $68.7 million in effective cap space. They also have numerous needs on the roster—aside from quarterback, as Drake Maye appears to be a long-term answer.

The Patriots added edge-rushers Harold Landry III and K'Lavon Chaisson in free agency, but there's room for another high-level sack artist in New England. The Pats recorded just 28 sacks as a team last season, and they could use an influx of defensive leadership.

Hendrickson could provide both production and strong locker room leadership, and new head coach Mike Vrabel got an up-close look at just how impactful he can be as a Cleveland Browns consultant last season.

While the Bengals may prefer a hefty trade package, teams are unlikely to offer anything outlandish given the need to immediately extend Hendrickson.

A high second-round pick would be a fair offer from the Patriots, as it would give Cincinnati an opportunity to potentially replace Hendrickson with a pass-rushing prospect such as Texas A&M's Nic Scourton or Ohio State's JT Tuimoloau.

Detroit Lions

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Lions head coach Dan Campbell

Lions Get: Edge Trey Hendrickson, 2025 second-round pick (49th overall)

Bengals Get: 2025 first-round pick (28th overall)

It's no secret the Detroit Lions could use a high-end edge-rushing complement opposite Aidan Hutchinson.

While they brought back Marcus Davenport, he has a lengthy injury history and cannot be expected to be a legitimate difference-maker. They also released 2024 trade acquisition Za'Darius Smith early in the offseason.

Detroit's tendency to draft and develop players will likely lead the team to the draft for its next pass-rusher. The B/R Scouting Department recently paired the Lions with Georgia's Mykel Williams in its latest mock draft.

If the right defensive prospect isn't available in Round 1, general manager Brad Holmes may want to call Cincinnati to try swinging a draft-day trade.

While trading back into Round 1 from 49th overall might not provide the Bengals with their desired compensation, it would give them the chance to add two rookie contracts that include the fifth-year option. That could be quite valuable as they look to financially juggle the top-end contracts of Chase, Higgins and Joe Burrow in the coming years.

For the Lions, pairing Hendrickson (17.5 sacks in 2024) with Hutchinson (11.5 sacks in 2023) would provide one of the league's top pass-rushing duos.

Paying Hendrickson would be feasible, as Detroit has $43 million in cap space available.

Indianapolis Colts

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New Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo

Colts Get: Edge Trey Hendrickson, 2025 first-round pick (17th overall)

Bengals Get: 2025 first-round pick (14th overall), 2025 second-round pick (45th overall)

With just $22.6 million in cap space, the Indianapolis Colts don't have quite as much financial flexibility as some other teams on this list. However, they might be able to provide Hendrickson with his most obvious fit.

Former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who was fired after the 2024 season, now holds the same position in Indianapolis.

The Colts could also use another edge-rusher as part of their defensive makeover. They added cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Camryn Bynum to the back end during free agency, but they lost edge-rusher Dayo Odeyingbo to the Chicago Bears.

In Indianapolis, Hendrickson would immediately become the headliner of an edge rotation that also includes Kwity Paye and 2024 first-round pick Laiatu Latu—even if the Colts expect big things from Latu.

"I think you'll see a big jump from Year 1 to Year 2," head coach Shane Steichen said of Latu, per JJ Stankevitz of the team's official website.

For the chance to reunite Hendrickson with Anarumo, the Colts could offer up their second-round pick and a chance to move up a few spots in Round 1.

San Francisco 49ers

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49ers edge Nick Bosa

49ers Get: Edge Trey Hendrickson, 2025 first-round pick (17th overall)

Bengals Get: 2025 first-round pick (11th overall), 2025 third-round pick (75th overall), 2025 third-round pick (100th overall)

While the San Francisco 49ers may not be undergoing a full-on rebuild this offseason, they have allowed several key contributors to walk and must now find ways to replace them.

Pass-rusher Leonard Floyd was among the departures, as he was released during the legal-contact window. The 49ers have yet to replace him and are still searching for a quality complement to edge-rusher Nick Bosa.

There was some speculation that San Francisco would try to pair Bosa with his brother, Joey, following his release from the Los Angeles Chargers. However, the elder Bosa signed with the Buffalo Bills instead, and it appears he was never particularly close to joining the 49ers.

"It didn't sound like that got close at all, really, to happening," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said last month (h/t David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone).

The 49ers could look for their No. 2 pass-rusher in the draft—the B/R Scouting Department recently mocked Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart to San Francisco. With $40.3 million in cap space, they could also consider pivoting to Hendrickson.

San Francisco is equipped with two third-round picks—it was awarded a special compensatory selection for the external hirings of DeMeco Ryans and Ran Carthon. It could offer both selections, along with a fairly sizeable first-round jump, to Cincinnati for Hendrickson.

Green Bay Packers

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Packers Get: Edge Trey Hendrickson, 2025 third-round pick (81st overall)

Bengals Get: CB Jaire Alexander, 2025 second-round pick (54th overall)

The Green Bay Packers have one of the NFL's youngest rosters and are likely to continue building through their draft-and-develop strategy. But targeting Hendrickson would make sense since they are also exploring the idea of trading cornerback Jaire Alexander.

While Alexander has struggled to stay healthy over the past two years, the Packers aren't about to let him go for pennies.

"We invested a lot in Jaire and we want to make sure if he's not going to be on our football team helping us win games, that we get something back for that investment," general manager Brian Gutekunst said, per Mark Oldacres of Packers Wire.

Hendrickson would represent a solid return on Green Bay's investment. The Packers would likely need to sweeten the deal because of Alexander's recent injury history, but a favorable day-2 pick swap might move the needle for Cincinnati.

Alexander is a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the league's top cover corners when healthy. He's also just 28 years old and could aid a Bengals defense that ranked 21st in passing yards allowed last season.

The Packers could use some additional help on the edge, too. While their defense recorded 45 sacks in 2024, Rashan Gary was the only defender to log more than five. Kingsley Enagbare was second among Packers edge defenders with just 4.5 sacks.

Extending Hendrickson would be an option, as Green Bay still has $32.5 million in cap space available.

With the Packers open to moving on from Alexander and the Bengals possibly having little choice with Hendrickson, this could be the sort of win-win trade that allows both franchises to consider themselves winners.

*Cap information via Spotrac