One of the most intriguing narratives of the NFL offseason has been the Cincinnati Bengals’ contract disagreement with Trey Hendrickson.
The standout pass rusher was reportedly assured of a contract extension if he maintained his excellent performance last season, which he did by achieving 17.5 sacks for the second consecutive year.
However, now that the moment of decision has arrived, the Bengals are being tough negotiators and refuse to compensate the Defensive Player of the Year finalist with what he merits.
As a result, Hendrickson has been absent from mandatory minicamp and has asked for a trade from the team.
This marks the second year in a row that the former New Orleans Saint has requested a trade, and although Cincinnati has been reluctant to initiate trade discussions so far, he has a few potential interested parties.
One of the most apparent possible destinations is the Indianapolis Colts, who are in dire need of pass rush support.
The team was in the bottom quarter of the league with only 36 team sacks last season, so Hendrickson would provide an immediate enhancement.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report suggested several three-team trades that would shake up the NFL, one of which involved the Bengals’ star moving to Indianapolis.
“Hendrickson can team up with last year’s first-round pick, Laiatu Latu, while this year’s second-round choice, JT Tuimoloau, can be the team’s long-term rotational option. DeForest Buckner remains an exceptional interior defender, though he’s been a bit injured over the past few seasons and his interior pass-rush output decreased last year,” he mentioned.
The only downside of this trade for the Colts would be having to part ways with Buckner.
He has been one of the top interior defenders in the league for quite some time, and it might seem counterintuitive to let go of him to acquire another star pass rusher.
There could be alternative ways to secure Hendrickson, so Indianapolis would need to consider whether it makes sense to bring in one of the league’s best pass rushers while simultaneously giving one away.