The price for getting the NFL sacks leader is clear — the question now is will the Washington Commanders be willing to pay it?
With the Cincinnati Bengals granting NFL All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on March 7 the Bengals were looking for a first round pick in exchange for Hendrickson or a package of Day 2 picks. What’s probably scarier for teams is the financial commitment required to bring in Hendrickson — one that makes him one of the highest paid players in the NFL.
Hendrickson is coming off a career year in which he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, was named NFL All-Pro for the first time and selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl.
While the Commanders have the salary cap space to make that kind of deal happen, the question becomes whether they want to make that kind of financial commitment to a player who will turn 31 years old this season.
Garrett’s New Contract Re-Sets Market for Edge Rushers
With Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett re-setting the market with a 4-year, $160 million contract extension after his own trade request, Hendrickson becomes the best option available for a contender looking for the player to push them over the top.
For the Commanders, who made the NFC Championship Game following the 2024 season, it might be a no-brainer to go after Hendrickson if head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters think he could be the player who gets them to Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
“People I’ve spoken to believe Cincinnati wants either a first-round pick or a strong Day 2 package to ship Hendrickson, who will command well above $30 million per year on a new deal,” Fowler wrote.
While Spotrac has Hendrickson’s projected market value around a 2-year, $60 million contract, that number might be low after Garrett’s deal. That would mean something more along the lines of a 2-year, $70 million contract. That type of deal would make Hendrickson the NFL’s third highest paid edge rusher behind Garrett and San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa in terms of average annual salary.
The Commanders hold the No. 29 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Hendrickson Sought Trade Before Season
Hendrickson asked to be traded before the season after failing to secure a long-term contract extension and has 1 season left on his current deal at a price tag of $16 million in 2025.
The Bengals and owner Mike Brown — one of the most tight-fisted owners in professional sports — are likely loathe to have to hand out 2 mega-contracts in one offseason with NFL All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase awaiting would should be a record-setting deal and Cincinnati missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season in 2024.
The sad thing for the Bengals is they could have likely retained both Hendrickson and Chase if they’d signed them to extensions last season — for what would be looked at like brilliant, cut-rate deals now. There’s a likelihood the Bengals could have gotten Hendrickson for a 2-year extension worth between $40 million and $50 million last offseason.
