The Washington Commanders have been incredibly active in the trade market this offseason. A notable development between Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals potentially bursts the door open for Adam Peters to make another bold move.
Washington needs a legitimate, game-changing pass rusher capable of causing consistent havoc in opposing backfields. It's one of their last remaining weaknesses, with Peters opting to sign veterans to one-year deals and re-signing underachievers like Clelin Ferrell rather than do anything too drastic. With only five selections during the 2025 NFL Draft, it'll be interesting to see how the general manager rectifies this complex complication.
Hendrickson was strongly linked with a trade to the Commanders earlier this offseason. The All-Pro defensive end wants a new deal that hasn't arrived from the Bengals as yet. Most thought a compromise would be reached at some stage, but things are turning increasingly sour.
Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn fanned the flames by stating Hendrickson should be happy with the money he's on or has been offered. This blatant disrespect provoked a response from the former third-round pick, who went on the Pat McAfee Show to publicly air his grievances.
And he didn't hold back.
Trey Hendrickson's scathing criticism reignites Commanders' trade hopes
Hendrickson revealed that communication between the Bengals and his representatives has been limited at best. The player would like to stay and finish his career in Cincinnati. At the same time, frustrations are building as the Bengals continue to mismanage this situation after opting to prioritize extensions for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Those comments from Katie Blackburn were definitely disappointing, and communication has been poor over the last couple of months. It's been a little bit frustrating, and if they have anything they'd like to discuss, we're definitely willing to listen. When I say that communication has been poor, I mean that it's been here and there. We don't have any desire to be the highest paid, and we've tried to be as patient as possible. Three years ago, I began to ask for a long-term contract with guaranteed money. It was very confusing to read what I read yesterday.Trey Hendrickson via Stripe Hype
This might get Cincinnati to alter course and try harder to reach some common ground. It might also dig them into the trenches even more and prolong this already lengthy saga way into the offseason. In truth, it could go either way, but the Commanders should be watching developments closely.
Peters doesn't have much draft capital to give up. He's also not going to get a better player with the No. 29 pick or his second-round selection. And make no mistake, the Commanders are firmly in win-now mode following trades for wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
This is an intriguing development. Even so, the smart money is still on Hendrickson getting something worked out with the Bengals. Just when that'll be remains to be seen, but this latest turn of events doesn't indicate a successful resolution is on the immediate horizon.
The Commanders might have enough to make this work if the Bengals become more receptive to offers. If they managed to pull off yet another trade, it would further strengthen their hopes of dethroning the Philadelphia Eagles next time around.
Watch this space…
