Trey Hendrickson landing spots: Four teams that could try to sign the Bengals star in free agency
The veteran edge rusher will hit the open market after the team decided not to use the franchise tag
Trey Hendrickson will not return to Cincinnati. The Bengals could have kept the star edge rusher in town for at least one more season by using the franchise tag before Tuesday's deadline; the team decided not to use the tag, which means Hendrickson will officially hit the free agent market.
Using the tag would have immediately eaten up $30.2 million in cap space -- a massive number for a team with a ton of holes to fill in free agency, especially on defense. The upside to letting him walk is that the Bengals will now have financial flexibility.
The upside for Hendrickson is that he'll pick his next team. Despite his age (31), the 2024 NFL sack leader should have a significant market as one of the most-prized free agents out there. Pete Prisco has him ranked as the No. 2 overall free agent in this year's class.
So where could he end up? Let's check out a few landing spots.
Trey Hendrickson landing spots
The best landing spot might be just 115 miles west of Cincinnati. The Colts need pass-rush help, and a move would reunite Hendrickson with former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, now the Colts' DC. After signing with the Bengals in 2021, Hendrickson blossomed under Anarumo, recording at least 14 sacks in three of four seasons -- including 17.5 in both 2023 and 2024.
The 49ers finished with the NFL's fewest sacks last year (20), and they need to do anything they can to get some help in the pass-rushing department.
The Patriots made a big splash in free agency last offseason, and with a healthy amount of salary cap space, it wouldn't be surprising if they get aggressive again this year. The Patriots actually posted the league's worst sack differential last year, allowing 48 while recording 35. Mike Vrabel will be looking for pass-rush upgrades.
The Titans have more cap space than anyone. If Hendrickson chases the biggest paycheck, this fit makes sense. And let's not forget: Robert Saleh is a defensive coach, so he'll certainly be looking for some game wreckers on that side of the ball.
For any team that might be interested in Hendrickson, Prisco did issue a stern warning.
"Here's the problem with Trey Hendrickson: Injury and age," Prisco said. "You're talking about a guy who missed time last year and you're also talking about a guy who's 31 years old, but the allure and attraction of a pass-rusher like him will set the market for him."
Despite missing 10 games last season, Prisco still expects the 2024 sack leader to garner significant interest.
I think there's going to be teams interested in adding him. There's going to be a lot of teams who are pass-rush needy. All you have to do is go back to the last two Super Bowls and who won them: Well, the Eagles, they could rush the passer. The Seattle Seahawks, they could rush the passer. A lot of teams need that guy.
He's going to have a big market even though he's 31. I think there will be caution involved with the contract. You can't give him a megadeal because of the age, but he's going to get some kind of deal, probably a three-year deal, that's going to see him end up with some team that needs pass-rush help.
It also wouldn't be surprising to see Hendrickson land in the NFC North. The Bears and Lions could both use some pass-rushing help and there aren't many better options on the market than Hendrickson. The only reason those two teams aren't listed higher is because Hendrickson won't come cheap and both teams are currently over the cap with less than a week to go until the start of the free agent tampering period.
