Feb. 7, 2026, 1:06 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler<\/a> recently shared what he is hearing about the upcoming free agency period and mentioned the Indianapolis Colts<\/a> when discussing pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.<\/p>\n Hendrickson is set to be a free agent after spending the last five seasons in Cincinnati, where, as Fowler put it, that relationship has seemingly run its course — as we saw last offseason.<\/p>\n “The relationship has essentially run its course, and the tag will be well above $30 million,” Fowler wrote. “Perhaps they could swing a sign-and-trade, but losing him to free agency could equate to a third-round compensatory pick in return if Cincinnati plays it right.”<\/p>\n Fowler adds that Hendrickson will have plenty of suitors, and he specifically mentioned the Colts<\/a>, Cowboys, and Buccaneers<\/a> as teams that need pass-rusher help.<\/p>\n It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Colts were mentioned here. For one, like Fowler said, 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.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n Hendrickson has been one of the most disruptive pass rushers in football, which includes leading the league in sacks in 2024 — although injuries limited him to just seven games last season.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n And of note, the Colts have reportedly expressed interest in Hendrickson previously. Last offseason, when the\u00a0Bengals<\/a>\u00a0were potentially trading Hendrickson, the\u00a0Colts reportedly called<\/a>\u00a0Cincinnati to check in.<\/p>\n After GM Chris Ballard was more aggressive in free agency last offseason, it sounds like the Colts plan to\u00a0take a similar approach this year.<\/a><\/p>\n