Feb. 8, 2026, 9:44 a.m. ET
If the Indianapolis Colts are going to pursue free agent pass rusher Trey Hendrickson this offseason, what might his next contract look like?
Hendrickson is set to be a free agent after spending the last five seasons in Cincinnati. As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler put it recently, that relationship has seemingly run its course — as we saw last offseason.
As far as which teams could be interested in Hendrickson, Fowler mentioned the Colts, along with Dallas and Tampa Bay.
This should come as a huge surprise, given that the Colts need more pass rush juice, Hendrickson played several seasons under Lou Anarumo, and last offseason, the Colts expressed interest in the star defensive end at that time.
Trey Hendrickson contract projections
So if the Colts do want to pursue Hendrickson, what might his next deal look like?
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
According to Pro Football Focus, they are projecting that Hendrickson signs a one-year deal worth $21 million.
“At 31 years old and coming off an injury that limited his showing in 2025, some teams may be more hesitant to offer long-term deals,” wrote PFF’s Mason Cameron. “Which could lead to a shorter-term deal — with a large guarantee attached — for a team that aims to contend.”
In terms of average annual value, Spotrac has Hendrickson in a similar ballpark, but signing a two-year deal instead. Their projection has him earning $50.89 million over two seasons — good for an average of $25.4 million per year.
Landing Hendrickson is going to be fairly costly, but after GM Chris Ballard was more aggressive in free agency last offseason, it sounds like the Colts plan to take a similar approach this year.
Indianapolis is in “good shape,” as Ballard put it, salary cap-wise this offseason.