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Indianapolis Colts Emerging as Possible Trade Suitor for Elite Sack Specialist

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Evan Massey | Last updated Mar 7, 2025 12:52 PM ET

After suffering through a very frustrating 2024 NFL season, the Indianapolis Colts are hoping to put together a strong offseason and get back into the playoff picture in 2025.

One of the moves that clearly needed to be made has already happened. The Colts moved on from defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and ended up replacing him with former Lou Anarumo who was previously in the same position with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Anarumo runs a different system than Bradley and Indianapolis will likely look to add more talent that fits that system.

Could they end up pursuing a major trade with the Bengals for a pass rushing superstar?

That is something that NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport has suggested to keep an eye on this offseason. He thinks the Colts are a team to watch when it comes to Trey Hendrickson.

“I would of course, keep an eye basically on all of the teams who would need one of the best pass rushers in the NFL—which is basically all of them," Rapoport said. "But among the teams, the Indianapolis Colts. They have Lou Anarumo, his former defensive coordinator, last year [was] with the Cincinnati Bengals. Fired and went to the Colts. They need an edge. This one makes a lot of sense. There’s going to be plenty of other teams as well.”

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: The #Bengals and Trey Hendrickson are headed for a split. He has permission to seek a trade... pic.twitter.com/X0TInZPb8T
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 7, 2025

Hendrickson is exactly the kind of piece that Indianapolis needs. The Colts have struggled to maintain a consistent pass rush. Acquiring a star who has recorded back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons would be a nice way to fix the problem.

During the 2024 season with Cincinnati, Hendrickson totaled 46 tackles, 17.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and six defended passes. He's a game-changer each and every week.

Indianapolis will be facing a lot of competition if it does want to acquire Hendrickson. There are many different teams who could trade for the elite sack specialist.

If the Colts want to land him, they'll need to move quickly and bring an aggressive offer to the table.

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

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