While Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard made several good signings to kick off free agency, there are still undoubtedly more roster needs to be considered. Trey Hendrickson has long been rumored to be a good fit for Indy, particularly because he would be reuniting with Lou Anarumo, which Colts fans have been hoping will sway Hendrickson further towards a move.
However, it's not that easy; though the Cincinnati Bengals have given Hendrickson permission to seek a trade, that doesn't mean they're about to roll out the red carpet for him to leave. The Bengals clearly want to keep their star defensive end around (and understandably so), but analysts have predicted that if Hendrickson were to leave, Indianapolis would be the place he's most likely to land.
Is that possibility a little closer to becoming a reality? According to a recent discussion on the Pat McAfee show, yes. Making a guest appearance on the show, Ian Rapoport said there is interest from Indianapolis, but they have to get around Cincinnati first.
"The Colts do have interest in Trey Hendrickson..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 24, 2025
The Bengals don't wanna let him leave the building and the Bengals are working to keep him"@RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Kwc58a2Rf3
"There's interest. It seems to me - so here's, sort of, the Bengals' stance. I mean, obviously we saw they paid the two stud receivers, right? They paid Jamar and Higgins, got nice contracts. Jamar, I mean, great contract. Higgins, really nice, really nice deal as well. The Bengals do not like letting good players leave the building. Even if it's for a huge traffic, they don't like it. They like to develop, draft, develop, sign their own guys. And I think they get annoyed that people think that they don't sign their guys," Rapoport said.
"So Hendrickson is awesome. He deserves a lot of money. I think his next contract is going to be above 30. Is it going to beat, you know, Max Crosby? I don't know, but it's going to be above 30. And I think the Bengals are working - not I think, I know the Bengals are working on it. And I know they would like to keep him in the building. They would like to pay him. And I think they would like people to stop saying, 'Why don't the Bengals pay their guys?' Because they do. And I think getting Hendrickson done at a money and a value that makes sense for both sides will be a great way for the Bengals to be like, see?
Getting Hendrickson will come at a steep price, there's no doubt about that, but it seems that Ballard is open to playing ball, if it means landing someone as good as Hendrickson is. And defensive end is a need for the Colts; they have Laiatu Latu, who has a promising future ahead of him, but he's still young. Kwity Paye is good, but nowhere near being in Hendrickson's league, while Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis both had issues staying healthy last season.
Will the Bengals let Hendrickson go? It doesn't look like they want to, but he's serious about leaving, and prepared to take drastic measures if necessary. Who knows? The Colts could end up landing another defensive superstar before the offseason is through.