Buccaneers GM Jason Licht opens up about Trey Hendrickson rumors

Before the Cincinnati Bengals and pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson officially broke up, a report claimed that Hendrickson, who lives in Ponte Vedra, "would love" to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Such a marriage wasn't in the cards, however, and Hendrickson put pen to paper on a deal with the Baltimore Ravens. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht was asked about the reports that linked his team with Hendrickson.

Did Buccaneers really "kick the tires" on signing Trey Hendrickson?

"We did [kick the tires] on [Trey Hendrickson]," Licht acknowledged, per the JoeBucsFan website. "We kicked the tires on a lot of things." 

Hendrickson recorded the NFL's most regular-season sacks (35) from the start of the 2023 campaign through the 2024 season, but he more recently played in just seven games during the 2025 campaign before he needed core surgery in December. Despite concerns related to his health and age (31), he received a four-year, $112M contract that included $60M in fully guaranteed money and could be worth up to $120M from the Ravens. 

It's clear Licht wasn't comfortable with matching such a price tag for Hendrickson. Instead, Tampa Bay signed former Detroit Lions pass-rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad to a one-year contract worth up to $6M. ESPN stats show that Muhammad finished this past regular season tied for 11th in the league with 11 sacks. 

Why didn't Buccaneers make a bigger effort to sign Trey Hendrickson?

According to ESPN, Tampa Bay ended the 2025 regular season tied for 18th in the NFL with 37 total team sacks. That stat says plenty about the Buccaneers' need for a game-wrecking defensive player, but Licht was thinking about more than just the 2026 season while making roster decisions earlier in March.

"You know, we had to make a decision on — we’ve got future flexibility, draft picks. Ultimately, we decided not to pull the trigger," Licht added during his comments about Hendrickson. 

If Hendrickson rediscovers his best form and stays healthy through at least the upcoming campaign, Licht may regret going in a different direction regarding what was a clear need for his club.