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Is there still hope for the Indianapolis Colts to land star Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson in a trade?
Hendrickson requested a trade earlier this offseason as he enters the final year of his deal. However, even with the trade request and the Bengals already spending money at the receiver position by extending Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, FOX NFL insider Jordan Shultz would report recently that, while it won't be easy, the Bengals would "love to find a solution."
But there appears to be another obstacle when it comes to making that happen. At the NFL's annual league meeting early this week, when asked about Hendrickson, Bengals' executive VP Katie Blackburn had this to say:
"I think he [Hendrickson] should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn't think he'd be happy at," Blackburn said Tuesday, via NFL.com. "I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point, and if he's not, you know, that's what holds it up sometimes. So, you know, it takes him to say yes to something, and also, we have all the respect in the world for him. He's been a great player. We're happy to have him. And so maybe we'll find a way to get something to work. We're just gonna see where it goes."
That, of course, got back to Hendrickson, who shared his thoughts on the comments while appearing on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday:
"That was a little disappointing, because communication has been poor over the last couple months," Hendrickson said Wednesday on "The Pat McAfee Show" about Blackburn's comments, via CBS Sports. "That's something that I hold in high regard. They have not communicated with my agent directly. It's been something that's been a little bit frustrating."
Ian Rapoport reported within the last few weeks that the Colts are among the teams that still have interest in Hendrickson. However, the challenge--whether it be for the Colts or any other interested team--is the cost, both in terms of the premium draft capital that the Bengals are seeking in return and the new contract that Hendrickson is looking for, which, according to Rapoport, could eclipse $30 million per year.
With just seven draft picks and only three in the top 100, it's not as if the Colts have a ton of draft capital to work with already but they have a number of needs to still tackle beyond pass rusher.
In addition to that component, fitting that hefty contract extension onto the books is not an impossible task by any means, but that certainly disrupts whatever the current plan is and would likely require cap maneuvering elsewhere. The trickle-down effect is then, how does that contract impact the Colts' ability to add to other position groups?
With that said, from a pure football perspective, this addition would make all the sense in the world for the Colts. Hendrickson has been one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL the last four seasons, which includes leading the league in sacks in 2024, and he had that success playing under now Colts' defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
The Colts landing Hendrickson probably still falls in the unlikely category. Who knows, maybe he and the Bengals work things out, but if not, there are still other hurdles out there when it comes to acquiring him.
However, given how things continue to unfold, it's at least worth keeping our eyes on.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts news: Trey Hendrickson provides update on status with Bengals
Continue reading...
Hendrickson requested a trade earlier this offseason as he enters the final year of his deal. However, even with the trade request and the Bengals already spending money at the receiver position by extending Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, FOX NFL insider Jordan Shultz would report recently that, while it won't be easy, the Bengals would "love to find a solution."
But there appears to be another obstacle when it comes to making that happen. At the NFL's annual league meeting early this week, when asked about Hendrickson, Bengals' executive VP Katie Blackburn had this to say:
"I think he [Hendrickson] should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn't think he'd be happy at," Blackburn said Tuesday, via NFL.com. "I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point, and if he's not, you know, that's what holds it up sometimes. So, you know, it takes him to say yes to something, and also, we have all the respect in the world for him. He's been a great player. We're happy to have him. And so maybe we'll find a way to get something to work. We're just gonna see where it goes."
That, of course, got back to Hendrickson, who shared his thoughts on the comments while appearing on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday:
"That was a little disappointing, because communication has been poor over the last couple months," Hendrickson said Wednesday on "The Pat McAfee Show" about Blackburn's comments, via CBS Sports. "That's something that I hold in high regard. They have not communicated with my agent directly. It's been something that's been a little bit frustrating."
What does this mean for the Colts?
Ian Rapoport reported within the last few weeks that the Colts are among the teams that still have interest in Hendrickson. However, the challenge--whether it be for the Colts or any other interested team--is the cost, both in terms of the premium draft capital that the Bengals are seeking in return and the new contract that Hendrickson is looking for, which, according to Rapoport, could eclipse $30 million per year.
With just seven draft picks and only three in the top 100, it's not as if the Colts have a ton of draft capital to work with already but they have a number of needs to still tackle beyond pass rusher.
In addition to that component, fitting that hefty contract extension onto the books is not an impossible task by any means, but that certainly disrupts whatever the current plan is and would likely require cap maneuvering elsewhere. The trickle-down effect is then, how does that contract impact the Colts' ability to add to other position groups?
With that said, from a pure football perspective, this addition would make all the sense in the world for the Colts. Hendrickson has been one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL the last four seasons, which includes leading the league in sacks in 2024, and he had that success playing under now Colts' defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
The Colts landing Hendrickson probably still falls in the unlikely category. Who knows, maybe he and the Bengals work things out, but if not, there are still other hurdles out there when it comes to acquiring him.
However, given how things continue to unfold, it's at least worth keeping our eyes on.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts news: Trey Hendrickson provides update on status with Bengals
Continue reading...
