The Trey Hendrickson saga just keeps getting worse for the Cincinnati Bengals. Hendrickson and the Bengals have been stuck at a contract impasse with the star edge rusher saying Tuesday that he will not play for the Bengals on his current deal. This has developed into a situation the LA Chargers should closely monitor.
It seems like a matter of time until Hendrickson is traded and despite taking an edge rusher in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chargers could be a fit. After all, Khalil Mack is only under contract for one season and could very well walk after the 2025 campaign.
Hendrickson's trade value has declined as this situation has gone from bad to worse, potentially opening the door for the Chargers to swoop in. The Chargers may not be the most likely trade destination, but they have the resources to pull off a trade.
Proposed Chargers trade for Trey Hendrickson:
This is less than the Bengals would have accepted for Hendrickson two months ago but the rubber may be hitting the road. Hendrickson is removing any leverage the Bengals had in trade talks, opening the door for a deal headlined by a pick that should be in the 80s.
A third-round pick with a future day-three pick is absolutely a price the Chargers should be willing to pay. After all, Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks last season and has picked up 35 combined sacks over the last two years.
Hendrickson would take a good Chargers edge rusher room and turn it into a great room. He would start alongside Khalil Mack, who would be dispelled primarily by Tuli Tuipulotu, Kyle Kennard and Bud Dupree.
The Chargers could run a five-man edge rusher room but if push comes to shove, the team could part ways with Dupree, whether that be in the trade itself or via a release. Dupree's dead cap hit is only $640,000 and it is safe to say the Chargers won't let him stand in the way of getting a deal done.
Los Angeles has more than enough cap space to make this happen. The team had just under $30 million in cap space before the 2025 NFL Draft and should be able to absorb $18.66 million cap hit.
Hendrickson isn't playing without a new deal, and that would apply to the Chargers as well. Extending the edge rusher can lower his cap hit by as much as $11.6 million this season. The Chargers could also free up to $14.296 million in cap space by extending Rashawn Slater, so there are several levers to pull.
No team in the NFL has more projected salary-cap space in 2026 than the Chargers so giving Hendrickson another 2-3 years shouldn't be a problem. Sure, the team will also have a big contract on the books with Slater, but there is plenty of room given the Chargers' financial status.
All this being said, it's clear the Chargers have the means to trade for Trey Hendrickson. After the latest drama, it may just be a matter of time.