Are you paying close attention? With Trey Hendrickson's working relationship deteriorating before our very eyes with the Cincinnati Bengals, it would serve a team like the Green Bay Packers to jump at this golden opportunity. A star edge rusher who is still very much in his prime wants out of town with his current team because he feels he has been slighted by the organization. Make something happen!
Green Bay should be in the mix to try to trade for Hendrickson for several reasons. One, the Packers are a playoff-caliber team that needs to continue to make headway in the division. Two, Green Bay is historically not a free-agent destination, so you have to build up your team otherwise. Three, what if a division rival lands him instead? And four, the Packers will only go as far as the defense takes them.
Here is the statement Hendrickson shared with ESPN about how things are going with him right now.
“No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft. The offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level. Coaches are aware of these past conversations. Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating. I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that’s hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals.”
The Bengals now stand to lose Hendrickson after taking care of both of their star wide receivers.
Trey Hendrickson statement today to ESPN: “No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft. The offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level. Coaches are… pic.twitter.com/2MKBL60ATg
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 12, 2025
Do the Packers have it in them to trade for a star player the caliber of Hendrickson this offseason?
Green Bay Packers should be in the race to trade for Trey Hendrickson
Hendrickson is entering his fifth season with the Bengals. He is under contract for $21 million for this season. Although he is on the wrong side of 30, Hendrickson is coming off arguably his best season as a professional out of Florida Atlantic. He may have a working rapport with their new defensive coordinator Al Golden from his first season with the team, but Hendrickson is so grossly underpaid.
Early this offseason, we saw comparable edge rushers to that of Hendrickson get multi-year extensions in Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders and Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns. T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the other star edge rusher who is in need of a new contract. Unfortunately, the Bengals do not seem to be inclined to extend Hendrickson this offseason.
As far as what this means for the Packers, they are a contending team in the opposite conference, one with a far greater winning tradition than Cincinnati. Not to say Green Bay is truly a Super Bowl contender right now, but they could be with the right addition or two. We all remember how instrumental Charles Woodson was coming over from the dysfunctional Raiders back in the day.
If Green Bay does not pursue Hendrickson, then he could end up signing with a rival team instead.