Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Proposed Bills trade package would land Trey Hendrickson for a player and draft pick

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Mike Moraitis | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 8:51 AM ET

With the Buffalo Bills all in on the 2025 season, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see the team make a play for Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.

Hendrickson and the Bengals remain at a standstill in contract talks and that has led to trade rumors heating up recently.

In the wake of that, Nick Shook of NFL.com proposes a Bills trade with the Bengals that would land Hendrickson. Here's what the suggested package looks like and what Shook had to say:

Bills get: DE Trey Hendrickson

Bengals get: DE Joey Bosa, 2026 first-round pick

"Have you watched Hard Knocks yet? Have you felt the pressure that is weighing on Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott to finally get over the Kansas City-sized hump and reach the Super Bowl?" Shook asked. "Buffalo is undoubtedly feeling it, and while the flier it took on suggests it's attacking this season as aggressively as possible, swinging a deal for Hendrickson would turn that dial to 11.

"Buffalo also doesn't have cap space to work with but we know two truths: First, Beane could structure an extension for Hendrickson to make it fit, and secondly, the cap is somewhat of a myth," he adds. "Send Bosa -- not a young player, but a player who would soften the blow of losing Hendrickson -- and a first-rounder to Cincinnati for Hendrickson and push the throttle to its limit in 2025."

According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Paul Dehner Jr., the Bengals are looking for a young defensive player and a 2026 first-round pick in exchange for the 2024 sacks leader.

While Shook's package doesn't check the box when it comes to a young player, Bosa would be able to make an immediate impact for a win-now Bengals team and can help fill the void left by Hendrickson's departure.

The Bills could also float a package that includes A.J. Epenesa instead if Cincinnati wants a younger edge rusher.

Adding an elite defender like Hendrickson, who has more sacks than any other edge rusher since 2023, would be a game-changer for Buffalo and would instantly improve their chances of winning a Super Bowl.

The biggest roadblock for a Bills trade for Hendrickson is money. Hendrickson will have to be extended on a hefty contract, and while that will help the Bills fit him in for 2025, the team is projected to be over the cap by $9.4 million in 2026.

Adding Hendrickson to the future books will make it very difficult for Buffalo to improve the rest of its roster in the next few years, and that would be especially disastrous if Hendrickson begins declining (he turns 31 in December).

But the Bills are in a "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it" kind of situation with the team in win-now mode. Hendrickson would offer a massive boost for Buffalo in 2025, so general manager Brandon Beane should throw caution to the wind.