Could Colts acquire Bengals' Trey Hendrickson ahead of trade deadline?

While the Indianapolis Colts won seven of their first eight games to start the season, analysts have noted that the Colts aren't a complete team when it comes to winning the Super Bowl.

Specifically, a Colts team in need of a pass-rusher has repeatedly been linked with Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals. For a piece published Friday, ESPN's Stephen Holder discussed whether Indianapolis could acquire Hendrickson before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. 

Do Colts think they could land Trey Hendrickson?

"The Colts believe the veteran pass-rusher will not be traded," Holder wrote. "Hendrickson ended a months-long holdout in August when he finally reported after signing a reworked contract that gave him a pay increase for this season."

Hendrickson played for Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who previously held that position with the Bengals. That said, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN mentioned earlier this week that "Cincinnati has no plans to trade Hendrickson right now." 

Colts personnel might be hoping that the "right now" part of Fowler's update was doing some heavy lifting. The Bengals would fall to 3-6 on the season if they lose at home to the Chicago Bears (4-3) on Sunday. Such a development could perhaps lead Cincinnati to punt on the remainder of this season. 

As of Friday morning, ESPN BET had the Bengals as 2.5-point underdogs against the Bears. 

Bengals reporter Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic mentioned in a Friday article that "giving up on any season for future assets in early November is not on the table" for Cincinnati. 

What might Bengals want for Trey Hendrickson?

It seems the Colts might need to look elsewhere if they want to add pass-rush help before Nov. 4. 

"If the Bengals reconsider their stance on Hendrickson — they've told teams he won't be traded without the team receiving exorbitant draft-pick compensation in return — the Colts would likely have interest," Holder added. That could indicate the Bengals haven't yet completely slammed the door shut on trading Hendrickson. 

For now, the Colts will have to focus on Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3). On Friday, ESPN BET had Indianapolis as a 3.5-point road favorite for that matchup.