Feb. 8, 2026, 9:44 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
If the Indianapolis Colts<\/a> are going to pursue free agent pass rusher Trey Hendrickson this offseason, what might his next contract look like?<\/p>\n Hendrickson is set to be a free agent after spending the last five seasons in Cincinnati. As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler<\/a> put it recently, that relationship has seemingly run its course — as we saw last offseason.<\/p>\n As far as which teams could be interested in Hendrickson, Fowler mentioned the Colts<\/a>, along with Dallas and Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> in the star defensive end at that time.<\/p>\n Trey Hendrickson contract projections<\/p>\n So if the Colts do want to pursue Hendrickson, what might his next deal look like?<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n According to Pro Football Focus<\/a>, they are projecting that Hendrickson signs a one-year deal worth $21 million.<\/p>\n “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 \u2014 with a large guarantee attached \u2014 for a team that aims to contend.”<\/p>\n In terms of average annual value, Spotrac has Hendrickson<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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\u00a0take a similar approach this year.<\/a><\/p>\n