NFL Insider 'A Lot of Things Need to Happen' For Trey Hendrickson to Get Traded

CINCINNATI — Trey Hendrickson could be traded amidst stalled contract talks with the Bengals, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted a lot of things need to happen before a deal is struck.

The Bengals reportedly want a first-round pick for Hendrickson and he wants a new contract closer to the market rate for elite pass rushers.

"My understanding here guys is that when Trey Hendrickson went to the Bengals with this saying, 'I would like to be traded. I'd like to explore.' The thought was that he could go for a first-round pick. He could go for a premium pick," Rapoport said on the network. "And so the Bengals were basically like, 'If you can go for a first-round pick, explore that, talk to teams.' They certainly have had some level of interest, the Bengals have.

"But these veteran trades, just like the trade we told you about earlier in the show, with Geno Smith going for just a third, they're never quite as much as you think they are, because a lot of times they're with older players training, Trey Hendrickson certainly an older player in the NFL. Sack leader, yes, for sure, but also wants a new contract. It's not impossible. It's not impossible. It can be done, but for the Bengals to get a premium pick for Trey Hendrickson and agree to move on from him, a lot of things need to happen."

Geno Smith is a solid quarterback needing a new contract and only went for a third-round pick from Seattle to Las Vegas. Still, Hendrickson is elite at his position and has shown immense durability in recent seasons (730-plus snaps in four consecutive seasons).

The right bidding war between a litany of interested teams could wrought a first-round prize in return.

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: The #Bengals allowed Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade, with the argument that if a trade brought back a premium pick it might be worth it. There is interest. But it could go either way. pic.twitter.com/jESPJfGuLI
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2025

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