The Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys could swap superstar edge rushers in an unprecedented NFL move.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox proposes a trade that would send Trey Hendrickson to the Cowboys and Micah Parsons to the Bengals. Along with Hendrickson, Knox also has Cincinnati sending a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick, and two 2026 third-round picks to Dallas.
The Bengals don’t want to commit to a 30-year-old defender long-term on a top-of-the-market deal, but they might feel differently about committing to a 26-year-old perennial Pro Bowler. Spending big to acquire a star and then locking him up isn’t the sort of move the Bengals typically make. If these really aren’t the “same old Bengals,” though, it’s a move they should.
Adding Parsons to a core that includes Burrow, Chase and Higgins would help ensure Cincinnati is a perennial threat. Pairing Parsons with rookie first-round pick  Shemar Stewart would also help ensure the Bengals have a quality pass rush for the foreseeable future.
Hendrickson and Parsons are both unhappy with their franchises due to their contract situations.
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The Bengals haven’t shown a full commitment to getting a deal done with Hendrickson. Though the 30-year-old pass rusher has reported to camp, Cincinnati is nowhere closer to signing him to a long-term contract, and Hendrickson has already stated that he won’t play under his current deal in 2025.
As for Parsons, the 26-year-old requested a trade from the Cowboys on Friday due to the franchise’s lack of consistent communication on a contract extension this offseason. Though Dallas has no intentions of moving Parsons, the relationship between the two looks to be completely destroyed.
Swapping disgruntled All-Pro players would be a bold move by the Bengals and Cowboys, but it could make sense for both teams. Adding Hendrickson to replace Parsons would save Dallas a bit of money, and the veteran pass rusher has posted two straight seasons with 17.5 sacks, so he would immediately step in as a dominant force on Mike Zimmer’s defense.
The Bengals could be looking to get younger at edge rusher, so pairing Parsons with Shemar Stewart would complete that task. Cincinnati could also be more willing to pay Parsons a lucrative contract due to him being nearly five years younger than Hendrickson.
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Obviously, this trade has a low chance of happening, but it would be a blockbuster transaction that changes the landscape of the league.
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