Why the Commanders are unlikely to trade for NFL's reigning sack leader

For much of the offseason, the thought that the Washington Commanders could be involved in trade talks to acquire Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson felt logical. Now, however, not so much.

So, as the news came out Sunday afternoon, the Bengals are finally accepting that they'll not be able to keep their star pass rusher, we can't see the Commanders being serious bidders for 2024's NFL sack leader.

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

As Rapoport says in his report, "a trade will be a real challenge."

An Incredibly Steep Price

The belief around the league is that in order to trade Hendrickson, Cincinnati is going to ask for one or more young players who can make an impact now and continue developing, along with draft capital.

Given that the team acquiring Hendrickson then also has to pay him $30 million or more per year on a new contract, the price is incredibly steep, even for a man who has recorded 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons.

One reason is because of Hendrickson's age. At 30 years of age, Hendrickson will turn 31 years old this December and is scheduled to count against the Bengals' books for $16 million in 2025, much less than the amount he reportedly wants to count for.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17). | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

What About a Terry McLaurin Swap?

Of coruse, there will be some who speculate perhaps the Commanders could trade receiver Terry McLaurin in a deal to obtain Hendrickson. In theory, Washington would then pay Hendrickson around what many believe they're willing to pay McLaurin, and enter the year with a much improved pass rush and offense led by quarterback Jayden Daniels and receiver Deebo Samuel.

There are more than a few issues with that idea, starting with the fact McLaurin also wants a new deal and Cincinnati just got finished paying receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins staggering contracts this very offseason.

A Disciplined Approach

Unless the asking prices aren't as steep as they are rumored to be, we just can't see Washington being serious bidders to obtain Hendrickson, and believe general manager Adam Peters will be much more likely to retain his current stock of draft picks, cap space, and players, and look for an elite pass rusher to emerge outside of veteran Von Miller for the future, or go about drafting or signing one the old-fashioned way sometime in 2026.

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