Trey Hendrickson is a free agent after parting ways with the Cincinnati Bengals, and as the clock tickets to the official start of NFL free agency on Wednesday, March 11, one team is emerging as a potential favorite to land him.
So, just how in-demand is Hendrickson? Even though he’s an expensive free agent, this is a case where the juice is worth the squeeze, as The Athletic names him the No. 1 available free agent going into Wednesday.
“Hendrickson has been one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL over the past five seasons,” Daniel Popper of the outlet states. “He has the third-most sacks in the league since 2020 with 74.5, and he played in only seven games last season due to a core-muscle injury that required surgery.”
Popper adds, “Hendrickson plays with a relentless, urgent motor that puts crushing pressure on a tackle's outside shoulder. He turns the corner and finishes with a straight-line burst, always hunting for the ball.” These are all good things.
Now, a new team has emerged as a favorite to get him: the Los Angeles Charges. It’s not a totally new idea for the Chargers to sign Hendrickson, and they certainly have an edge gap, but as other teams drop out of the running, the Chargers become a more obvious fit.
In a Monday, March 9 feature for SI, Andrew Parsaud names Hendrickson one of the free agents the team “must pivot to” in free agency.
“The veteran pass rusher from Cincinnati is set to leave the Bengals this offseason,” he notes in the piece. “He’ll have suitors, but the Chargers should be one of the top teams blowing his phone up. Hendrickson had a down year in 2025 due to injuries, but posted back-to-back 17.5 sack seasons in 2023 and 2024.”
He adds that Spotrac has his value set projected to be $25.4 million annually, with a contract worth just over $50 million for two years.
Another reason the Chargers make more sense for Hendrickson is because other teams, such as the Bears, are reportedly not looking to make a big splash in free agency. According to Bears insider Brad Biggs, the team isn’t seriously looking at Hendrickson, even though he has ties to Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. “I don’t think they’re in the Trey Hendrickson sweepstakes,” Biggs says.
Hendrickson’s situation is that he’s too expensive for some teams, but the right team will absolutely step it up during free agency.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.