Trey Hendrickson sweepstakes coming down to three team race

by isenews 10 March 2026 0 Comment

The Bengals officially chose chaos – they didn’t franchise tag Trey Hendrickson, and now the best edge rusher on the free agent market gets to pick his next paycheck. If you’re a team that can’t rush the passer, congratulations, you’re about to overpay. If you can rush the passer but want to win in January, congratulations, you’re still going to overpay. Here are the top three destinations that actually make sense – plus one dark horse that could slide in when everyone else starts tripping over their own cap sheets.

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Indianapolis Colts

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) watches a replay as the Detroit Lions celebrate a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 5 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. The Bengals continued a losing streak, falling 37-24 to the Lions.

This is the cleanest fit in the league – Hendrickson reunites with Lou Anarumo, the coach who already knows exactly how to deploy him. ESPN has pegged Indianapolis as the best team fit for a reason – the Colts need a true closer, and Hendrickson would instantly juice the rush opposite Laiatu Latu. It’s a plug-and-play upgrade that would show the Colts are serious about January football.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers keep getting floated as a logical landing spot because they need edge disruption and have every incentive to spend like a contender, not a spreadsheet. Yahoo’s free-agency predictions had Hendrickson landing with the Chargers – and the logic is simple: you don’t waste windows when you have a franchise QB and a defense that needs teeth.

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates a sack in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 1 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. The Bengals begin the season with a 17-16 win over the Browns.

Inducing the Bears here because I have to. There is an obvious need, as they’ve been linked to nearly every defensive-front stud that’s available (either through trade or free agency). Chicago all of a sudden has cap room – and several outlets (primarily in Chicago) already have Hendrickson in the navy and orange, even with the warning that his price tag could get nasty. Hendrickson would make their front mean immediately, and for a team with an open window, it just makes too much sense to ignore.

Dark Horse:

Don’t rule out the Washington Commanders. This is the one that will annoy everyone because it’s plausible. Washington is being framed as a team ready to make aggressive free-agency statements, with pass rush listed as a priority and Hendrickson specifically in the mix of marquee names around the market. If they decide they’re done waiting and want instant defensive credibility, Hendrickson tracks as the fastest way to buy it.

The market is going to be loud, expensive, and possibly predictable. The only surprise will be which front office decides it’s fine to pay top dollar for a premium skill – because it is.