Cincinnati Bengals defensive end and pass rushing extraordinaire Trey Hendrickson will have no shortage of suitors as Tuesday's NFL trade deadline closes in. The question is, are the Bengals willing to move him?
The possibility of Hendrickson donning a new uniform for the rest of the 2025 season seemed remote for a while. That is, until he suffered a nagging hip injury, and the Bengals got gashed time and again in consecutive losses to the Jets and Bears.
With Cincinnati at 3-6 entering its Week 10 bye, the Hendrickson trade buzz has new legs. This was true even before Week 9's stunning defeat.
One suitor and prospective trade offer stands out from the pack, though, if the Bengals want to maximize their leverage and resulting return for a blockbuster Hendrickson deal.
Trey to the Bay? Bengals' only Trey Hendrickson trade that makes sense is to send him to the 49ers
- 49ers receive: DE Trey Hendrickson, 2026 2nd-round pick
- Bengals receive: 2026 1st-round pick, 2027 2nd-round pick
The San Francisco 49ers have been mentioned for a while now as a potential Trey Hendrickson destination. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Monday that Cincinnati's asking price for Hendrickson is a first-round pick.
Add it all up, and Trey to the Bay Area seems increasing in likelihood by the minute.
San Francisco's rookie first-round pick, Mykel Williams, is feared to have torn his ACL, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. What should've been a dynamic duo on the edge for the 49ers wasn't to be in 2025, as superstar Nick Bosa also suffered a torn ACL a while back to end his season.
There's a clear need here for the 49ers, who've persevered through many injuries this year to grind out a 6-3 record to date. They need someone to rush the passer in the worst way, and few in the entire NFL are better than Hendrickson in that department.
Possible Bengals-49ers Trey Hendrickson trade has precedent both teams know all too well
Although spending a Day 1 draft choice for a player on an expiring contract is a risky proposition, recent history shows us that a similar move came up roses for a common enemy between these teams.
The Los Angeles Rams are known for their all-in philosophy and disregard for high draft picks. Before they beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game and the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, they traded for Broncos All-Pro pass rusher Von Miller to bolster their defensive line.
That Miller trade cost the Rams second- and third-round picks. My Trey Hendrickson trade proposal meets Cincinnati's steep asking price in a roundabout way (a high-draft pick swap), but also gives more flexibility for the future with a 2027 second-rounder.
I think this is more than fair for both sides. The Bengals' pick in Round 2 shouldn't be way off from where the Niners would pick on Day 1 in the event Hendrickson helps them to a deep playoff run.
As for Cincinnati, I'm tired of seeing Duke Tobin blow just about every Day 2 pick imaginable. If Hendrickson is gone, it'd be awesome for the Bengals to have two first-rounders to play with in 2026, plus two second-rounders in 2027.
If Tobin and the front office wanted to get real weird, they could trade one of the Hendrickson assets for a different proven veteran, or use it to aggressively move up in the draft next year or the year after.
One painful truth about the Bengals as they are is they're not one good player away from fixing the defense. Parlaying a Hendrickson trade into multiple eventual starters — or at least more cracks at the plate in the draft to find them — would make the pill of losing Hendrickson easier to swallow for Who Dey Nation.
I don't want Hendrickson gone. If he must be dealt, however, this is the best way I can stomach it.