All-In Steelers Could Add Another Defensive Star

The Pittsburgh Steelers are all-in this season. After signing Aaron Rodgers, adding DK Metcalf through a trade and making sure they kept their veteran in tact while adding some younger pieces, the team clearly has a plan to make a Super Bowl run - and they could add another piece before the season starts.

Across state lines in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Bengals are working out a contract extension with Defensive Player of the Year finalist Trey Hendrickson, but things don't seem to be going well. Like the Steelers negotiations with T.J. Watt, the Bengals don't have their star on the practice field, and unless a deal gets done, he's made it known he's not going to show up.

This isn't the first year the Bengals and Hendrickson have battled in the offseason. The ongoing negotiations appear to be a yearly thing, with this being at least the third time the two sides have gone public with disputes.

Well, what if the Steelers got involved? Back in the middle of the season, it was floated to Steelers On SI that Hendrickson would fit perfectly in Pittsburgh, and that the Steelers have a ton of respect for the Bengals edge rusher.

In recent weeks, as the talks between Hendrickson and Cincinnati have seemingly gone south once again, a league source has called the thought of Pittsburgh making a move a "no brainer."

"He makes complete sense for the way the Steelers operate and imagine for a franchise that had a superstar defensive lineman forever, you now add a Trey Hendrickson who’s barely into his prime that’ll be there forever," a league executive told Steelers On SI. "There is no secret that Trey greatly admires Mike Tomlin. Who doesn’t. If Mike Tomlin were available as a free agent, every team but the Cincinnati Bengals would’ve wanted him and yet again, they let another star like Carson Palmer get to the breaking point. Hendrickson to the Steelers makes complete sense."

The Steelers need to figure out Watt's deal. The move would open up money, though, and they have other options to expand their available cap space. If they believe adding to the defense is the right move, Hendrickson seems like the biggest one they can make.

Cincinnati is either going to sign Hendrickson to an extension or trade him. At least that seems like the only two options. And if they do reach their breaking point and decide to move on, maybe the Steelers get aggressive enough to say we really are all in this season. And maybe they call their AFC North rivals.