Colts remain among trade destinations for elite pass rusher

The Trey Hendrickson saga in Cincinnati has reached its latest twist.

NFL insider Tom Pelissero shared that, after renewed contract negotiations and Hendrickson returning to Bengals practice, the team is now open to trading last season’s league-leader in sacks. 

Peliserro says that no deal is close, but the Bengals have shifted their stance after initially having no interest in moving on from Hendrickson. 

The Colts have been linked to Hendrickson ever since the situation went sour with his current team. Indy’s defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo, worked with Hendrickson for four seasons, helping him hit the 17.5 sack mark in each of the last two seasons. 

NFL insider Jordan Schultz shared that Indy is among the teams who have expressed interest in Hendrickson, adding that the Bengals’ desired return is not expected to be cheap, asking for at least an “impact player” as compensation. 

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This report isn’t exactly news when you consider the strength of Anarumo and Hendrickson’s partnership on the field. But the Colts have a plethora of pass rushers of their own already who they believe can make an impact, including Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu and rookie JT Tuimoloau. 

Still, general manager Chris Ballard tends to be aggressive when pursuing pass rush. Previously in his tenure, he’s made trades for franchise cornerstone DeForest Buckner, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and signing Samson Ebukam as a free agent back in 2023. 

In the return for Ngakoue, a player requested by then-defensive coordinator Gus Bradley due to schematic familiarity, included a player in cornerback Rock Ya-Sin. So, Ballard is no stranger to being aggressive for a player he wants. 

But with the depth the Colts currently have on the edge, the price may be a bit too high to go after Hendrickson.