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Could Colts Trade for Bengals' Superstar Trey Hendrickson?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paul White | Last updated May 16, 2025 11:55 AM ET

Trey Hendrickson has been seeking a contract extension from the Cincinatti Bengals for over a year now and the conflict finally reached its boiling point earlier this week.

The star pass rusher took to the media Wednesday afternoon to air out his frustrations with the contract negotiations and dispel rumors that have been floated from the Bengals organization.

They apparently told Hendrickson that they would pay him what he wants if he had a dominant season and after leading the NFL in sacks, Cincinatti still refuses to pay up.

They gave the All-Pro permission to seek a trade and after finding multiple partners, they also refuse to trade him.

But if they were given the right offer then perhaps, they’d be willing to deal Hendrickson.

If a trade ever did come available, then the first team who should be lining up is the Indianapolis Colts.

They had one of the worst pass rushes in the league last year and acquiring Hendrickson would completely transform the defense.

They already have an All-Pro defender up the middle in DeForest Buckner, so adding another elite pass rusher on the edge would give offensive lines the ultimate test.

Moe Moton of Bleacher Report made a list of offers that the Bengals may accept for Hendrickson and the Colts made the list.

He predicted that the shoe would need to trade second and sixth-round picks to bring in the former New Orleans Saint.

For one of the premiere defensive players in all of football, this would be a steal of a trade.

Just earlier this offseason when Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett requested a trade because of a contract dispute, they were asking for multiple first-round picks in return.

If the Colts were able to acquire Hendrickson’s services without even giving up one, then they should do it in a heartbeat.

Over the last five seasons the edge rusher is averaging about 14 sacks per year and is one of the most consistent defensive stars the league has seen in some time.

The Colts should jump at the opportunity to trade for someone who could turn their defense into an elite unit singlehandedly.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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