The Cincinnatti Bengals have gotten into the bad habit of creating nasty contract disputes with some of their biggest stars.
Over the last few years, they’ve been entrenched in multiple stalemates with team leaders like wide receivers Ja'marr Chase and Tee Higgins and now Trey Hendrickson.
The team reportedly promised to pay the star edge rusher if he had another dominant season.
He did just that, leading the NFL in sacks with 17.5, but now that the rubber has met the road, the Bengals don’t want to pay up.
The blurred lines and mixed messaging have frustrated Hendrickson who is now absent from team activities and is committed sitting out regular season games if he has to.
With so much animosity between him and the team, executives around the league have their eye on the situation and are ready to pounce.
The former New Orleans Saints pass rusher has requested a trade from the Bengals before, so if those conversations pop back up, the Indianapolis Colts should be on the phone immediately.
They have a desperate need for defensive lineman and trading for Hendrickson would instantly give them one of the most talented pass rush groups in the league.
They already have a superstar defensive tackle in DeForest Buckner and if he partnered with the Defensive Player of the Year, they would be a nightmare for opposing offensive lines.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also sees the upside in a deal between the two teams and detailed what a potential package would look like.
Fowler imagined a hypothetical trade where the Colts would receive Hendrickson for second and fifth-round picks.
This would be a steep price for a player approaching 30-years-old while simultaneously pushing for a new deal to make him one of the highest paid players in the sport.
However, the former third-round pick has recorded double digit sacks in four of the last five seasons and is showing no signs of slowing down.
He is coming off back-to-back 17.5 sack seasons and is widely viewed as a top five defensive player in the sport.
This trade isn’t a necessity for Indianapolis, but it would be a quick and efficient way to become strong playoff contenders once again.
