Although the Cincinnati Bengals have been one of the more talented and star-studded teams in the NFL, they have nothing to show for it of late, as they have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Now, they face quite a bit of uncertainty just days away from the official start of free agency.
There have been whispers that Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who is considered by many to be one of the three to five best signal-callers in the world, could be on the move soon. There seems to be a better chance that Trey Hendrickson, their gifted defensive end, will be wearing another team’s uniform this fall.
In a recent ESPN article that predicted one free agent each team will sign, Aaron Schatz projected that Hendrickson will end up moving to the nation’s capital and play for the Washington Commanders.
“For the No. 1 free agent, we’re looking for three things. First, a team with a gaping hole at the edge rusher position. Second, a team with a lot of cap space. Third, a legitimate playoff contender.
“The Commanders definitely hit that first qualifier, as three of their top four edges are free agents. They also hit the second qualifier with the sixth-most cap space, per Roster Management System. And you might not think of them as legitimate playoff contenders, but they are only one season removed from appearing in the NFC Championship Game.
“I think coach Dan Quinn will need to try his hardest to convince Hendrickson to come in and help improve the struggling Washington pass rush.”
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Washington fell hard in 2025 after reaching the NFC Championship Game the previous winter. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, after a sensational rookie campaign in 2024 in which he was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year, was hampered by injuries in 2025. The team’s offense struggled, and its defense was even worse.
Hendrickson may be 31 years of age, and he may have had a disappointing campaign of his own in 2025 with just four sacks in seven games. But he can still create pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and he can also supply the Commanders with playoff experience. He appeared in Super Bowl LVI when Cincinnati narrowly lost to the Los Angeles Rams.
Hendrickson is just one year removed from leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks, being named to his fourth straight Pro Bowl and earning All-Pro First Team honors. But while the Bengals should have ample salary cap space, one has to wonder if they want to commit a truckload of money to him over the next few years, given his age and mileage.
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They could use their franchise tag on him, but that would only buy them more time to come to an agreement with him on a contract while costing them money and cap space this coming season in the meantime.
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