The New England Patriots spent big last offseason, but their pass rush could use even more help.
The Patriots had just 35 sacks last season, ranking near the bottom of the league. K'Lavon Chaisson, who had 7.5 sacks, is a free agent now, and while the Patriots would welcome him back, they could have their eyes on an upgrade. Trey Hendrickson is seemingly on his way out of Cincinnati, and USA Today's Ayrton Ostly predicted he would sign with the Patriots.
"Hendrickson is far from a long-term starter entering his age-32 season," wrote Ostly on Wednesday. "But the Patriots need some pass-rush juice off the edge. Hendrickson could hold things over for a year or two as the team continues to churn out more talent from the draft."
Hendrickson has been in a contract dispute with the Bengals for a couple of seasons now, and it finally feels like a time for something to change. He played just seven games last season because of injuries. He did have four sacks and eight quarterback hits in seven games.
Coming off a disappointing season and turning 32 this year, Hendrickson could end up signing a shorter, cheaper deal. The Patriots are coming off a Super Bowl run and figure to be an attractive destination. Hendrickson has 74.5 sacks since the start of 2020 and has been to four Pro Bowls in that span.
Hendrickson had a league-leading 17.5 sacks in 2024 and was a First-Team All-Pro. He will be looking to bounce back, and the Patriots would be a great team for him to do that with.
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