The Buffalo Bills are in an arms race with the rest of the AFC, but they are also in a race against time. Super Bowl windows don’t last forever, and while having Josh Allen under center means it won’t slam shut, each passing season increases the likelihood that one of the titans of the sport walks away empty-handed.
As such, urgency remains high in Orchard Park. The Bills clearly aren’t afraid to acquire talent via trade or signing. Twice, Buffalo has acquired post-prime edge rushers to chase down the conference’s best quarterbacks.
However, signing Joey Bosa isn’t necessarily enough to get over the hump, especially after an offseason injury clouded his production. That lends itself to additional speculation, including a recent brainstorm from ESPN, linking Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
The Bills' hypothetical trade proposal lands the final piece of a championship defense for just a 2026 second-round pick.
“The Bengals have made it clear they don't want to give away Hendrickson, so I'm not even sure the Bills' (likely late) second-rounder would be enough,” ESPN said of Dan Graziano’s offer. “But if the Bengals' demands drop, I could see Buffalo pouncing to secure the veteran edge rusher it needs to take down Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs.
“With offseason pickup Joey Bosa already injured, this move would help the Bills' pass rush add a stronger, healthier option. Hendrickson might not get the new contract of his dreams, but perhaps Bills general manager Brandon Beane could sell him on an improved chance to get to the Super Bowl.”
The biggest obstacle to this deal getting across the finish line is the balance of power in the AFC. Like Buffalo, Cincinnati is dangerous – no matter what – with quarterback Joe Burrow. It took an act of Godly sabotage to make a defense so bad a season ago, and the Bengals aren’t incentivized to make one of their main competitors even better while making their defense worse.
However, pairing Hendrickson with Gregory Rousseau along the edge with two quality starters between them at tackle would be Buffalo’s best attempt at mirroring the Philadelphia Eagles, who beat Kansas City in the trenches to win the Super Bowl.
The Bills have a quarterback capable of going toe-to-toe with the best player in the sport. It is worth paying for a defense that can do the same.