Bengals' Trey Hendrickson Out vs. Packers with Back Injury amid NFL Trade Rumors

Trey Hendrickson, whose name has been in trade rumors this week, will miss the remainder of the Cincinnati Bengals' game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

The star defensive end was initially listed as questionable after suffering a back injury, but was later ruled out, the team announced.

Hendrickson, who got a $14 million raise this offseason after a lengthy holdout, has had a solid start to the season with 13 tackles, four sacks and three tackles for loss. If Hendrickson is dealing with a serious injury, his absence would be a major loss for the Bengals' defense.

The injury comes after recent trade speculation surrounding the four-time Pro Bowler. The Athletic's Dianna Russini noted on Saturday that she would "expect" the San Francisco 49ers to give the Bengals a call about Hendrickson following star pass rusher Nick Bosa's season-ending torn ACL.

The 49ers' potential interest in upgrading their defense might intensify this week after star linebacker Fred Warner suffered what appeared to be a serious ankle injury on Sunday.

San Francisco's defense has already suffered without Bosa, and things would only get worse if Warner is dealing with a long-term injury.

The Bengals, who were 2-3 heading into Sunday's game, might be willing to listen to a trade offer for Hendrickson at this point in the season. With star quarterback Joe Burrow expected to miss most of the season with turf toe, it's hard to imagine Cincinnati will be a serious contender this year, thus making it more willing to trade one of its stars.

But before the Niners, or any other team, pursue a trade for Hendrickson, they'll first await an official diagnosis on the injury he suffered on Sunday.

Hendrickson has managed to stay healthy since joining the Bengals, missing just three games since 2021, and he'll look to keep the string of injury luck going.