The Buffalo Bills are without a doubt "all in.''
And so the idea of Bills Mafia being able to get its hands on Trey Hendrickson has not - and should not - go away.
The Bengals superstar edge Hendrickson - coming off a career-best 17.5 sacks - has been mired in the same situation all offseason.
A few months ago, he seemed optimistic about staying in Cincy.
“Inevitably, the goal is to win a Super Bowl for Cincinnati,” he said, “What that looks like this season, whether it’s something we can agree on in terms, that would be great. …''
Well, it's not something they've agreed upon.
We're told he wants $30 million per year in a new extension, which frankly does not seem unreasonable. But Cincy has not budged, and now the player is accusing the front office of lying to him.
"We would like to get Trey extended?" exec Duke Tobin told The Cincinnati Enquirer earlier this offseason. "Yes, he's an important part that played well for us, right? We can't have guys at the top of the payroll in every position, right? We'll do what we can. We'll do what we what we feel is right, and we will try to get Trey re-signed."
They've tried that. They also tried to trade him. And now the player is threatening to sit out the season in protest.
ESPN has an answer, or so it thinks: Dan Graziano says Buffalo should offer a 2026 second-round draft pick to Cincy.
"I could see Buffalo pouncing to secure the veteran edge rusher it needs to take down Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs,'' he writes. "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."
That all seems wildly rosy to us, but ...
No Bills player last year had double-digit sacks, and only Gregory Rousseau had double-digit tackles-for-loss, with 16, to go along with a team-leading eight sacks. And Bosa is indeed hurt, though only until training camp.
Is Hendrickson the addition needed to get the Bills over the hump that is the Chiefs remains to be seen, but he would be a major addition for a Bills team that is seen as the biggest contender to the Chiefs in the AFC.
Hendrickson has star quality. He's got 70.5 sacks in the last four years, putting him in a class with T.J. Watt (73.5) and Myles Garrett (72).
So if the Bengals ever sell? Sure ... The Bills should try to buy.