If the Cincinnati Bengals' backslide from the last two games continues, there's no shying away from the harsh truth that they could be major sellers at the NFL trade deadline.
Whether Trey Hendrickson is on the Bengals' defense or not, it might not matter in terms of this season's win-loss record. Should the front office have extended him for multiple years, rather than engage in more contract drama? I say yes. However, that's not the reality in Cincinnati.
So it comes as little surprise that Hendrickson's name is flying around the rumor mill ahead of the November 4 trade ultimatum. One specific scenario makes all the sense in the world, too.
Trey Hendrickson trade scenario reunites Bengals superstar with Colts DC Lou Anarumo
SI's Matt Verderame wrote an article about one trade every NFL team should make before the deadline. He came up with a compelling scenario in which Hendrickson goes to the Indianapolis Colts for a late Day 2 draft pick.
"Proposed trade: Edge Trey Hendrickson to Colts for third-round pick
Without Joe Burrow, the Bengals aren’t going anywhere. Last week, Cincinnati was blasted 48–10 in Minnesota without its perennial MVP candidate at quarterback. With Hendrickson having only this year left on his deal, an acquiring team would be paying a proration of $16 million. Hendrickson, 30, had a league-high 17.5 sacks in 2024 and would be a major addition for the Colts to pair with former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo."
Imagine putting "Colts" and "Super Bowl contender" in the same sentence before the 2025 campaign began. May still sound surreal and hyperbolic, yet Indianapolis is the prohibitive AFC South favorite. Being a division champ gets you a home playoff game. Anything can happen from there.
Lou Anarumo was a convenient scapegoat as the Bengals' defensive coordinator last season. Whether it was lackluster personnel not fitting the schemes he wanted to run, or Anarumo making his system too complicated, nothing was working well. The defense cost Cincinnati a playoff berth.
So while a change of scenery was necessary for both parties, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't envious of the Colts a bit now that Anarumo is cooking there.
Indianapolis defensive end Laiatu Latu was my 15th-ranked player in the NFL Draft last year. He went 15th overall — three picks before struggling Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims, my 25th-ranked prospect.
Latu is absolutely balling through four games this year, earning PFF's third-highest grade to date among edge defenders. The UCLA product is making the massive sophomore leap GM Chris Ballard was hoping for from his penultimate first-round pick.
If Ballard could sacrifice a mere third-round pick to install Hendrickson on the opposite edge, Indy's pass rush would be straight-up terrifying.
Anarumo's background as an assistant is very defensive backs-centric. The Colts are quite thin in the secondary, particularly after Xavien Howard's sudden retirement. One way to combat that is by having an elite pass rush, which Hendrickson would deliver in spades.
If I were Duke Tobin, would I actually do this trade? Of course not. Trey Hendrickson is the Bengals' best free-agent signing ever. It's a Halloween-appropriate waking nightmare to fathom what the defense would look like without him.
Plus, it's not like Cincinnati has gotten much out of recent third-round picks. Look no further than defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson and wide receiver Jermaine Burton. Both are season-long healthy scratches through Week 4.
The Hendrickson trade conversation should start with a second-round pick. Tobin shouldn't move him for less. Since Ballard actually has a QB for once in Daniel Jones, he may very well be tempted to pull the trigger on that deal with a division crown in his sights.