Trey Hendrickson
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CBS Sports writers named the Seattle Seahawks one of the top landing spots for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson after reports surfaced the Cincinnati Bengals are listening to trade offers for him.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Sunday that the Cincinnati Bengals are listening to trade offers for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Shortly thereafter, other NFL pundits argued the Seattle Seahawks should make an offer.
On Sunday, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin and Jared Dubin called the Seahawks one of the best five fits for the Bengals star edge rusher.
“Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald can manufacture a pass rush out of cobbled-together pieces as well as anyone out there, but what if he didn’t have to? Seattle has a bunch of guys who should be pretty good pass rushers, but dropping Hendrickson into the mix would take things to another level,” wrote Benjamin and Dubin.
Hendrickson has been one of the top edge rushers in the NFL this decade. He finally received his due in 2024, making his first All-Pro team.
During 2024, Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks. The campaign was his fourth with double-digit sacks, and Hendrickson posted 17.5 sacks in 2023 as well.
No edge rusher has more sacks over the past two seasons than Hendrickson.
Potential Cost for Seahawks to Acquire Trey Hendrickson
Benjamin and Dubin constructed their newest list of landing spots for Hendrickson after Rapoport and Pelissero suggested the edge rusher could be on the move.
The edge rusher is seeking a new long-term contract before the 2025 regular season. He will make a base salary of $15.8 million this fall. The 30-year-old will then be a free agent in March.
With contract talks at an impasse, the #Bengals are listening to trade offers for perennial Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson, per me & @TomPelissero.
It’s unclear if the NFL sack leader will be playing elsewhere in 2025, and a trade will be a real challenge. But time will tell. pic.twitter.com/WaFX601ew2
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 17, 2025
In all likelihood, the trade asking price for Hendrickson begins with a first-round pick. On a new extension, Hendrickson is likely to receive an average annual salary of about $35 million.
That means any team interested in the edge rusher would have to give up draft capital, including at least a first-rounder, and then make him one of the highest-paid defenders in the league.
That high price makes a Hendrickson deal for any team unlikely. But he could be a difference maker for a contender.
Since 2020, the 30-year-old has posted at least eight sacks every season and four double-digit sack campaigns. He’s averaged about 14 sacks per year.
Seahawks Getting Back Uchenna Nwosu
Landing one of the top edge rushers in the league should be tempting for any team. But the Seahawks already have pretty strong depth along the edge.
Veteran outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu is also set to return. The team announced Sunday that Nwosu passed his physical. That will enable him to return from the PUP list and practice with the team.
“Nwosu, who battled multiple injuries last season, had offseason knee surgery that general manager and president of football operations John Schneider referred to earlier this offseason as “a little cleanup of some sort… It was nothing major, but he had to get some stuff cleaned up,” wrote Seahawks.com’s John Boyle.
“Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald has not put a timeline on Nwosu’s return during training camp, but has consistently praised the work the veteran pass rusher is putting in throughout the rehab process.”
Nwosu has posted just three sacks in 12 games over the past two seasons. But in 2022, he was tied for the team lead with 9.5 sacks.
Again, the Seahawks are likely to be interested in Hendrickson because every team should be. But with Nwosu returning and Derick Hall, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Leonard Williams set to star along the edge for Seattle, the Seahawks might not be extremely motivated to execute a blockbuster trade for Hendrickson.