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Oct 26, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) runs out to the field before the game against the New York Jets at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

'Sign and Trade:' Top Analyst Predicts Blockbuster Bengals Move

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By David Latham | Last updated Nov 13, 2025 12:00 PM ET

After refusing to trade him for the past few months, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes the Cincinnati Bengals could finally trade Trey Hendrickson at the start of the new league year. Originally signing with the team in 2021, the former third-round pick has been one of the game’s most consistent and dangerous pass rushers for the duration of the 2020s. However, the Bengals are unwilling to give him a long-term extension, but they’ve also been reluctant to trade him to a team willing to hand out a long-term commitment.

However, Fowler believes that will change in the coming months. Trey Hendrickson is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the start of the next league year, and the ESPN analyst believes Cincinnati will use the franchise tag to “facilitate a sign-and-trade.” The Bengals probably won’t pay the $36 million required to keep him around, but they know other teams will surrender draft picks for the right to do it.

Fowler: Bengals Will “Sign and Trade” Trey Hendrickson Next Year

It will be interesting to see how much the Cincinnati Bengals can get for Trey Hendrickson in the 2026 offseason. On the one hand, Hendrickson remains one of the game’s elite pass rushers. While injuries have limited him to seven games, he’s recorded four sacks, 16 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, and eight quarterback hits despite playing on a defense with no other pass-rushing threats and a secondary that can’t cover anybody for more than two seconds. He’s not putting up the numbers he did last year, but he’s still a good player.

On the other hand, Trey Hendrickson will be entering his age-32 season next year, which means the trade candidate is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He could be on borrowed time, and there’s a chance his injury woes this year are a sign of things to come. The human body can only handle so much, and teams might not be willing to spend up for a player whose best days are behind him.

Regardless of the actual trade cost, somebody will be interested in taking a chance on Trey Hendrickson. Looking around the league, the following teams make the most sense as potential destinations.

Possible Fits

The New England Patriots have the two most important parts of any rebuild: a franchise quarterback and a stable head coach. Drake Maye is playing like an MVP, while head coach Mike Vrabel has the entire roster playing to the best of its ability. These two are the leading forces behind the team’s 8-2 record, and they have the resources to make a few big moves in the coming offseason. Edge defender is probably the biggest weakness on the Patriots roster, and they could turn it into a major strength with a Trey Hendrickson trade.

Alternatively, the Carolina Panthers could try and trade for Trey Hendrickson, but only if they believe in Bryce Young. The jury is still out on whether the former first-overall pick can become a legitimate franchise quarterback, as he flashed moments of greatness but overall leaves something to be desired. However, if the Panthers believe they can win with him, they could bolster the defense with one of the game’s premier pass rushers.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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