While Tee Higgins has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, fellow Bengal Trey Hendrickson has now entered those discussions. The former third-round pick has established himself as one of the game’s best pass rushers over his three seasons with Cincinnati, making the Pro Bowl every year while recording a combined 39.5 sacks with the Bengals. Last year was perhaps the best season of his seven-year career, as he recorded 17.5 sacks, 43 tackles, 16 tackles-for-loss, and 25 quarterback hits while starting in all 17 games.
Now entering his age-30 season, the pass rusher is technically under contract through the 2025 season but has no guaranteed money beyond this year, per OverTheCap. With the Bengals seemingly unwilling to provide long-term security, Trey Hendrickson is looking for a trade to a more stable situation.
Bengals three-time Pro-Bowl DE Trey Hendrickson has requested to be traded from Cincinnati, per league source. Hendrickson is due to make $15 million this season, and is looking for more long-term security than Cincinnati has been willing to offer. pic.twitter.com/PDNKTEiKII
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 24, 2024
Trey Hendrickson Requests Trade Ahead of NFL Draft
At first glance, the Cincinnati Bengals have the financial flexibility to pay Trey Hendrickson and avoid a trade. As of this posting, the team has the sixth-most cap space in the league at $15.1 million. However, a deeper dive shows that the team might need to start pinching pennies.
2024 is Cincinnati’s last great shot to win the Super Bowl. Joe Burrow’s cap hit is set to explode starting in 2025, and the team needs to set aside some money for the inevitable Ja’Marr Chase extension. With this in mind, the Bengals might have no choice but to trade Trey Hendrickson if he isn’t willing to play on his current deal.
Even though he is entering his age-30 season, every team in the league should be willing to trade for a player like Trey Hendrickson. Few players in the league get to the quarterback on a more consistent basis, and that skillset is invaluable in today’s pass-heavy NFL.
Possible Destinations
Atlanta Falcons
With Kirk Cousins on board, the Falcons finally have the offensive firepower required to compete in a weak NFC South. While this might be enough to win the division, Atlanta must improve their defense if it wants to go on a deep playoff run. You don’t sign a 35-year-old quarterback if you don’t believe your roster can compete right now, and adding Trey Hendrickson via trade could be the missing ingredient for this team.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Josh Allen had 17.5 sacks last year, and Jacksonville still found a way to record the fewest quarterback takedowns in the league. While the team has yet to add another edge defender, a Trey Hendrickson trade would give them perhaps the most ferocious pass-rushing duo in football. Pairing these two with Arik Armstead in the middle should be enough to make life miserable for all opposing quarterbacks.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers signed Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum in free agency, but they shouldn’t say no to a potential superstar. Despite the improvements on the offensive side of the ball, this team will probably need to win games on defense in 2024. Trey Hendrickson should cost less in a trade than Brian Burns did, and he can be even more productive in the short term.
New Orleans Saints
On paper, the Saints do not have the money to trade for Trey Hendrickson. However, New Orleans excels at finding loopholes in the salary cap, so if they want to get him, they’ll find a way. Hendrick entered the NFL with the Saints, so New Orleans knows how to get the best out of him. With questionable depth at the edge defender position, the Saints could use someone capable of singlehandedly blowing up any given play.
Baltimore Ravens
Would the Bengals ever trade Trey Hendrickson to their fiercest division rival? Probably not, but the fit is perfect. After losing just about everyone in free agency, the Ravens are rebuilding from scratch at several positions. While Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo offer the promise of youth, Hendrickson could destroy worlds in this favorable scheme.
Main Photo: Jenna Watson – USA Today Sports
