The Detroit Lions don’t appear close to acquiring Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. But anyone who wants to see the back-to-back NFC North division winners trade for Hendrickson had to like Sunday’s update on the edge rusher from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
The pair of NFL insiders tweeted the Bengals are listening to trade offers for the edge rusher.
“With contract talks at an impasse, the Bengals are listening to trade offers for perennial Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson,” wrote Rapoport.
About an hour after the new development with Hendrickson and the Bengals, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin and Jared Dubin named the Lions the top landing spot for the edge rusher.
“The Lions addressed their offensive line early in the 2025 NFL Draft, also adding wide receiver depth,” Benjamin and Dubin wrote. “One area that went curiously overlooked: pass rusher, despite the team desperately needing the since-departed Za’Darius Smith to step in as an Aidan Hutchinson replacement last season.
“With more than $40 million in 2025 salary cap space still available, they could be a prime landing spot for a proven talent.”
Why Lions Are Fit for Edge Rusher Trey Hendrickson
Also on Sunday, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweeted that the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts were among the teams that “have shown interest” in acquiring Hendrickson.
Obviously, the Lions weren’t on the list. Schultz made no mention of the Lions.
But Detroit continues to be a team that national pundits have linked to Hendrickson. Benjamin and Dubin explained why, and Detroit clearly in win-now mode is another reason.
The Lions were in the NFC championship game in 2023 and earned the No. 1 seed in the playoffs last season. But the organization has yet to advance its first Super Bowl.
Trading for Hendrickson would be an all-in move that would make sense for a team that’s close to a championship.
Hendrickson could be a difference maker for any team this fall. He led the NFL with 17.5 sacks last season. No defender has more sacks than Hendrickson over the past two years.
Since 2020, the Bengals edge rusher has averaged about 14 sacks per season. He’s reached 13.5 sacks in four of the past five years.
Has Hendrickson’s Trade Status Changed?
The NFL Network insiders portrayed the fact the Bengals are listening to trade offers for Hendrickson as a new development. However, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. threw cold water on that being a new idea.
“This isn’t the Bengals casting a line out to drum up interest,” wrote Dehner.
“The Bengals will always listen. The asking price continues to be significant. It’s highly unlikely a team will pay it — and also pay Trey.”
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweeted Sunday that the Bengals have been “engaged in” trade talks involving Hendrickson “for weeks.” But the trade compensation the Bengals are seeking is high.
“According to teams that have reached out, Cincinnati isn’t only seeking draft capital in return; they’re also targeting defensive players in a potential deal,” tweeted Russini.
That kind of trade is likely to be less appealing for the Lions. A Super Bowl contender isn’t going to want to give up other defensive players, especially younger ones, for Hendrickson.
Any team that acquires Hendrickson is also going to have to offer him a contract extension. The average annual salary on his last extension was $21 million.
An average annual salary of $35 million would move Hendrickson into the top five highest-paid players at his position.
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