The Indianapolis Colts control their own destiny. Is that an overused phrase and a team or person's "destiny" could be good or bad, but with Indy, it's a bit fitting. The team is 5-1 through six games and sits alone atop the AFC South.
Now is the time for Indy to turn into a buyer. The team has issues; if not, many of them belong to the offense. Could right guard Matt Goncalves be better? Sure, but he's serviceable.
The defense, though. That's a bit of a mess. New defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo isn't exactly the best at his job, but Indianapolis still likes giving him former players such as linebackers Joe Bachie and Germaine Pratt, and cornerback Mike Hilton. Could elite edge rusher Trey Hendrickson be next?
Indianapolis Colts projected to make a move for Trey Hendrickson
NFL talking head Kay Adams certainly thinks so. In a talk with Cincinnati Bengals great Boomer Esiason, Adams suggested that the Colts make a move for Hendrickson, as Cincy is going through a load of injuries and issues.
Hendrickson is also in the final year of his current deal, and even getting him back to play for the team was a chore for Bengals management. No offense to Hendrickson, of course. The team is just notoriously cheap. Hendrickson is a great player and would help Indy.
He also had a fantastic few years in Lou Anarumo's system, when Indianapolis's DC was the Bengals' DC, and Hendrickson could make an immediately impactful transition from Cincinnati to the Colts. A struggling Indianapolis defense acquiring Trey Hendrickson would make Indy's defense a lot less struggling.
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The truth is that Cincinnati should be interested in trading the edge rusher and getting value back when he is probably not going to re-sign with the team in free agency next offseason. But a bit of buyer-beware for whichever team gets him.
As far as a pass rusher, he is great. He had back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024. This year, through six games, he has four. But he isn't great against the run, and he historically misses a lot of potential tackles. In three of his four previous seasons, he whiffed on at least 23.1 percent of his tackle attempts.
Still, Lou Anarumo would know how to use Hendrickson in his scheme, and the edge rusher should be productive. A better pass rush would help overcome the sins of the Indianapolis Colts' banged-up secondary. The only issue is that general manager Chris Ballard doesn't like to do midseason trades and might not want to give up a first or second-round draft pick to get Trey Hendrickson.