Feb. 14, 2026, 7:13 a.m. ET

Another NFL insider has connected the Indianapolis Colts to free agent defensive end Trey Hendrickson.

The NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe recently shared what he is hearing about Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals, and mentioned as a team to watch were the Colts.

“From what I understand, a team source told me, he figures it’s unlikely for these two sides (Hendrickson and the Bengals) to reunite going into next season,” Wolfe said. “And so what does that mean? Do the Bengals let him go in free agency? Do they try to slap the franchise tag on him and trade him? A difficult decision for Cincy because their relationship has not been great in recent weeks.

Wolfe continued, “And I’m told that if this deal does end up happening, free agency-wise, keep an eye on the Indianapolis Colts. It’s a team that wants to be aggressive; they made the big splash move for Sauce Gardner mid-season. Lou Anarumo has a lot of familiarity with Trey Hendrickson. They just hired a D-line coach named Marion Hobby, who coached Trey Hendrickson for four years in Cincinnati.

“When they were all together, Lou, Marion, and Trey Hendrickson, they had 57 sacks in four seasons. Four Pro Bowl seasons. They’re going to be aggressive in trying to get him if he does reach the market, or even if it’s a sign and trade. It could be a big splash move for the Indianapolis Colts.”

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As Wolfe alluded to with all the connections he made between the Colts and Hendrickson, Indianapolis’ interest doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

For one, more pass-rush help is needed. The Colts need to bolster their defensive end depth this offseason and need more pass-rush juice from that position group.

In addition to that, he will be very familiar with Lou Anarumo’s defensive scheme after spending several seasons playing for him while the two were with the Bengals. Hendrickson’s most productive seasons came with Anarumo as his defensive coordinator.

And of note, the Colts have reportedly expressed interest in Hendrickson previously. Last offseason, when the Bengals were potentially trading Hendrickson, the Colts reportedly called Cincinnati to check in.

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.