After the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to select Travis Hunter second overall in the NFL Draft, a report surfaced that they may not be done making splash moves this offseason. The opportunity to swing for the fences might've just presented itself.
Star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson said, via Adam Schefter of ESPN, that he or his camp hadn't had contract talks with the Cincinnati Bengals since before the draft, pointing out that the offer they gave him doesn't match what they had previously promised them.
Earlier this offseason, Hendrickson said that he wouldn't mind getting traded if that meant Cincy wins a Super Bowl. However, contract talks resumed, and it looked like he would reach a deal. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case, and his status for the 2025 season remains in doubt.
A third-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2017 draft, Hendrickson posted a measly 6.5 sacks in his first three seasons but has logged 70.5 the past five. He joined the Bengals on a four-year deal worth $60 million in 2023 and inked a contract extension in 2025.
It's fair to say that Hendrickson has outperformed the contract he signed with Cincy. He's slated to make $16 million, which ranks outside the top 10 highest-paid pass rushers in the NFL. Based on the lack of contract talks and how much his relationship with the Bengals' brass has potentially deteriorated, a trade may be the best course of action. And if the Florida Atlantic product becomes available, he'll have no shortage of suitors.
Would it make the sense for the Jaguars to trade for Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson?
After releasing wide receiver Gabe Davis, the Jacksonville Jaguars have around $27 million in space. They still need to get their rookie class under contract, which will take around $10 million, but it could be more than enough to potentially trade for Trey Hendrickson. Would it make sense, though?
The Jags already have a pair of dominant pass rushers in Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. However, Hendrickson would turbocharge their rotation and turn it into one of the best in the league, though. The downside is that it wouldn't come cheap.
Depending on the potential demand for Hendrickson's service, a second or first-round pick will be needed to get a deal done. Jacksonville already gave up its first in 2025 as part of the trade to move up for Travis Hunter. Parting ways with their second may not be the best course of action for a team that's still in the early stages of a rebuild.
On top of that, the Jags or any other team interested in Hendrickson will have to give him a contract that at least pays him $30 million a year. As noted before, they could make it happen by giving him a big signing bonus and spreading bigger cap hits in the later years of the deal.
The issue with that is that the new regime appears to be high on Walker, and they'll need to give him a new deal at some point. Trading for Hendrickson would make it difficult, as they have already committed a significant amount of space to Hines-Allen and wouldn't have the space to pay all three.
Then again, if Hendrickson is still available before the trade deadline, and the Jags are off to a strong start, maybe they could give the Bengals a call and see what it takes to get a deal done. They could even give him a short-term raise, a one-year extension like the Bengals did in 2023, and let him walk after 2026. The front office could then turn its attention to Walker.
Ultimately, a trade for Trey Hendrickson seems unlikely, but if general manager James Gladstone has proven anything, it's that he's not afraid to make a bold move if he thinks it will help the team.
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