'Poor' Contract Talks Give Colts Chance at Trey Hendrickson

The Indianapolis Colts need to fill areas of their roster despite some big signings. Top names like cornerback Charvarius Ward and Cam Bynum are nice, but so is adding a strong presence in the defensive trenches.

Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro defensive edge Trey Hendrickson is a name that could shake the foundation of a defense in the best way. Hendrickson played multiple seasons under Anarumo and logged an NFL-best 17.5 sacks on his way to a First-Team All-Pro nomination in his last campaign with the veteran coordinator.

Hendrickson has been a part of potential trade talks, and the Colts are in the thick of those rumors, given the ties between Hendrickson and Anarumo. However, while there was belief the Bengals were eager to close a deal, but Hendrickson revealed on The Pat McAfee Show that might not be the case, calling the talks 'poor.'

"Those comments from Katie Blackburn were definitely disappointing & communication has been poor over the last couple of months..

It's been a little bit frustrating & if they have anything they'd like to discuss we're definitely willing to listen" ~ Trey Hendrickson #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/C9PUdfKewj
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 2, 2025

Hendrickson has been reported to be asking for too much money, and the Bengals are requesting too hefty a package for a trade of their four-time Pro Bowler. With all of these factors, things seem to have, again, come to a halt.

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Indianapolis needs more firepower off the defensive edge, despite having Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, and Laiatu Latu, as well as rotational edge, Tyquan Lewis. However, none of these names are on the level of a Hendrickson.

Trey Hendrickson: An offense's worst nightmare 😈

More highlights on https://t.co/KpeqK4RKUm pic.twitter.com/QPwXTtC9La
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) February 15, 2023

While a trade for Hendrickson would require a vast action, as well as the massive amount of money he's requesting, it would still elevate Indy's defensive line to heights it hasn't seen in recent memory. Putting Hendrickson in company with DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart is also a scary thought for opposing offensive lines.

The fit with Anarumo makes far too much sense, and the Colts have been interested in making this deal. The issue is, as stated before, the price tag that Cincy is putting on Hendrickson for a team to secure him via trade.

Given that the talks have stalled and are 'poor,' as Hendrickson states, is this another window of opportunity for the Colts to strike a deal to reunite the former Florida Atlantic alum with Anarumo? The answer is that the opportunity has always been there; it's whether or not Chris Ballard wants to fork over the necessary capital, which has a heavy probability of including valuable draft picks.

We'll have to see if these talks between Hendrickson, his agent, and the Bengals improve. If not, the likelihood of a trade grows as the talks slowly disintegrate. However, if the Colts make it happen, they'll have arguably the best defensive pass-rusher outside of the Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett to implement.

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