Update On Colts' Trade Possibilities for Bengals' Trey Hendrickson

The Indianapolis Colts have been linked to a possible trade for Cincinnati Bengals superstar edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. If this deal goes down, it will reunite Lou Anarumo with Hendrickson and elevate Indianapolis' defense immediately.

But, the cost for Cincy to trade him might be too much, and the rest of the NFL agrees.

Per NFL insider Dianna Russini, Cincy is asking for too much compensation to trade Hendrickson. Some teams have called their proposed package 'ridiculous.'

Teams are willing to pay Trey Hendrickson the contract that he desires but have found Cincinnati’s current asking price to be “ridiculous,” as one GM told me.

The Bengals can adjust as the offseason progresses, but right now, teams aren’t willing to meet their terms. pic.twitter.com/xzaIllagVz
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 13, 2025

Understandably, Cincinnati wants the best possible deal to give up the 2024 sack leader. Since joining the Bengals in 2021 he's collected 57 sacks and four-straight Pro Bowls. He also has a First-Team All-Pro nomination (2024) after nabbing 17.5 sacks for the second straight year.

To toss out a small projection, the Bengals might be asking for several draft picks, likely multiple first-rounders or high selections to recoup giving up Hendrickson. The Bengals might also be asking teams for prominent names to come to Cincy, which those franchises aren't willing to part with.

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The Colts signed cornerback Charvarius Ward (three-years, $54 million), safety Camryn Bynum (four-years, $60 million), and quarterback Daniel Jones (one-year, $14 million). With so much money on signings already implemented, Indianapolis needs to be a bit more careful going forward.

Indianapolis can still pay Hendrickson, but the Bengals are trying to get a favorable deal for themselves. It's amicable, but both teams must benefit to get through a massive trade like this one. The Colts currently have $12,358,901 in cap (Spotrac) and need to use it wisely going forward.

This situation is one to monitor, as teams showing interest have voiced, that they're happy to pay Hendrickson the money he wants. However, the Bengals are holding this up and no teams are interested in their proposal.

For now, this transaction is on pause, for the Colts included. Can Indianapolis be the front-runner once Cincy approaches the table with a different deal? We'll see what Chris Ballard does to potentially land arguably the best defensive player in the league outside of Myles Garrett.

Anarumo already has Ward and Bynum, and adding Hendrickson transforms Indy's defense into a potential top-10 unit. Once Cincinnati lets up, expect the Colts to return to the fray to try and land the All-Pro edge rusher.

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