Trey Hendrickson has been the center of trade rumors and speculation this offseason as he and the Cincinnati Bengals continue to struggle to get a contract extension done. If the two sides fail to reach an agreement, one analyst thinks the Bengals could ship Hendrickson off to the Washington Commanders.
The trade prediction comes from Pro Football Focus' Thomas Valentine, who has the Commanders sending pick No. 29 in the 2025 NFL draft to the Bengals for selection No. 81 and Hendrickson.
- Commanders Receive: Pick No. 81 and EDGE Trey Hendrickson
- Bengals Receive: Pick No. 29
"The Commanders were obvious trade candidates for Myles Garrett before the Browns re-signed the pass rusher to a four-year deal. Even though Garrett is off the table, Washington could still be in the market for a star edge rusher," Valentine wrote. "Trey Hendrickson is readily available, and as near-contenders, the Commanders shouldn’t hesitate to make a move.
"They trade the 29th pick to the Bengals for Hendrickson and Pick No. 81 in this mock scenario, taking the best pass rusher available while picking up an extra third-round pick. Hendrickson gives the Commanders much-needed pass-rushing juice off the edge," Valentine concluded.
The Commanders already had a need along the edge going into the offseason, but that need became much more dire once their 2024 sacks leader, Dante Fowler Jr., left for the Dallas Cowboys in free agency.
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After an improbable trip to the NFC title game in 2024, the Commanders are looking to take that next step forward. Acquiring Hendrickson would greatly improve Washington's chances of doing so.
Hendrickson is projected by Spotrac to land a two-year, $62.3 million extension, a price the Commanders will be able to afford thanks to a positive salary cap outlook over the next few years.
Losing Hendrickson would be tough, but with the No. 29 overall pick acquired in the aforementioned proposal, the Bengals can use that and their No. 17 overall selection to rebuild the defense and add an edge rusher.