Seahawks Linked to Trey Hendrickson After Major Injury Update

Most NFL teams start training camp with the goal of trimming their roster. However, the Seattle Seahawks may look to add players (and star ones at that) following the latest news on linebacker Uchenna Nwosu.

Nwosu began camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list while rehabbing offseason knee surgery. His return timeline remains unclear, but the injury update from coach Mike MacDonald is discouraging.

MacDonald said the key defensive veteran is “not necessarily close [to returning] right now,” per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. He also indicated Nwosu could miss Week 1 of the regular season.

As a result, many Seahawks fans and analysts are urging the team to make a splashy move for a disgruntled pass rusher: 2024 sack leader Trey Hendrickson.

What Hendrickson Would Bring to Seattle

Hendrickson hasn’t arrived at training camp in the midst of a bitter contract dispute with the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s involved in a flurry of trade rumors, ranging from teams like the Detroit Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s even been connected to the Seahawks for several months. Following the Nwosu injury and the cap space gained by cutting TE Noah Fant, the Seahawks are in a position to make a move.

“The price to acquire Hendrickson will likely be high, both in terms of contract (Spotrac estimates a deal that pays him $38.8 million a year) and assets the Seahawks will probably have to give up in exchange,” wrote Kole Musgrove for Seahawks Wire. “But what Hendrickson brings would potentially be more than worth it. I have long written the best way for the Seahawks to improve from good-to-great is to find a way to make one position group truly elite. Right now, Seattle’s defensive line is the closest unit on the team to reaching such a level. Hendrickson played in all 34 available games from the last two years and recorded an astonishing 35 sacks.”

Hendrickson would bolster a defense that ranked 10th in sacks last season. He’d join a cadre of talented pass rushers that includes Pro-Bowler Leonard Williams and ascending young linebackers Derick Hall and Boye Mafe. While Hall and Mafe had strong seasons in 2024, Hendrickson’s 17.5 sacks were more than both players combined. He’d also take a lot of pressure off 33-year-old DeMarcus Lawrence in his first year in Seattle.

“There are plenty of quality players Seattle will need to keep the books open for, but Trey Hendrickson is an elite caliber of player that would undoubtedly elevate the Seahawks’ defensive front,” Musgrove added.

Jadeveon Clowney’s Possible Seahawks Reunion

Another rumored pass-rush option is three-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney. The former Seahawk is currently a free agent. Like Hendrickson, he’s been linked to Seattle for weeks.

Clowney posted 5.5 sacks and 46 tackles for the Panthers last season. It was another year of solid production from the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

While Clowney would be a cheap, low-risk acquisition, he doesn’t have the same ceiling as Hendrickson. Acquiring the Bengals’ All-Pro could vault Seattle’s D-line to becoming one of the league’s best units. It would be a major defensive upgrade that could push the Hawks into the playoffs for the first time since 2022.