It’s been a long offseason for the Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson.
The two parties have been involved in a dispute that dates back to last offseason. Hendrickson has wanted a raise and extension that the Bengals have seemingly been unwilling to grant, even though the pass-rusher led the NFL in sacks last season.
The veteran was given permission to seek a trade earlier in the offseason and has been holding out from minicamp. It seems unlikely that the relationship can be repaired at this point, and a trade seems inevitable.
If the Bengals finally decided to move Hendrickson, there will be no shortage of suitors. Anthony Palacios of LWOS believes the Dallas Cowboys could be a realistic landing spot.
The Cowboys could use help for Micah Parsons on the edge, and Hendrickson could take the team to the next level.
The Dallas Cowboys have been stacking up on talent defensively ever since they hired new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. After signing Jack Sanborn and trading for Kenneth Murray Jr., they have some type of life following Demarcus Lawrence’s departure. The hope is that they can extend Micah Parsons, but it would be interesting to see if Dallas could one day get Hendrickson to boost them to a well-rounded defensive line.
As Palacios mentioned, the Cowboys lost veteran edge-rusher DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency this offseason, and Hendrickson would more than make up for that production.
In 2024, Hendrickson played in all 17 games and collected 46 tackles, 17.5 sacks, and 19 tackles for loss. The defender led the league in sacks and earned his fourth-consecutive Pro Bowl berth, as well as first-team All-Pro honors.
Hendrickson has been one of the best pass-rushers in the league over the last several seasons. The defender has had double-digit sacks in four of the last five campaigns and earned an elite 88.1 Pro Football Focus grade in 2024.
In Dallas, Hendrickson could start on the edge. The team could then start Parsons and Hendrickson, with Dante Fowler Jr., Donovan Ezeiruaku, and Payton Turner rotating in. That would give the Cowboys arguably the best edge-rusher group in the league heading into 2025.
Of course, Hendrickson would likely cost the Cowboys at least one high draft pick, and the team would have to hand out a hefty extension, as well. Hendrickson is set to enter free agency after the 2025 season, and Spotrac projects the veteran to earn a deal worth $31.5 million annually.
