3 perfect Trey Hendrickson destinations after Bengals pass on franchise tag

Trey Hendrickson is headed towards free agency. Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals star pass-rusher did not hit the open market due to the franchise tag. It was a messy situation, but Hendrickson ended up still playing on the franchise tag contract given to him. Now, though, Cincinnati has decided not to give Hendrickson the tag for a second year. Now, the star pass rusher is free to explore his options.

While Hendrickson had a down year in 2025 due to injuries, he’s still expected to be the top free agent at his position. The Bengals pass-rusher led the league in sacks in 2024 and was second in 2023 with 17.5 sacks each year. Sacks and pressures are the backbone of a modern defense, and a player who can provide that in spades will be in high demand.

There are many teams that will be vying for Trey Hendrickson’s services this offseason. Let’s look at which teams are the best options for Hendrickson.

Indianapolis Colts

There’s nothing better than a familiar face in an unfamiliar location. The Indianapolis Colts need to bolster their pass-rush for the next season. They finished the 2025 regular season 15th in sacks with 39 sacks. While that’s a good place to be in, it’s also worth noting that they ranked fourth in pressures generated according to Pro Football Reference. That indicates that the Colts’ pass-rushers have struggled to finish their pass-rush reps and are not getting home to the quarterback completely.

Hendrickson would help add that much-needed boost to the Colts’ pass-rush. They already have one of the more underrated pass-rushers in 2024 first-round pick Laiatu Latu, who recorded 8.5 sacks last season and was arguably the best defensive lineman in Indiana. A front four featuring Latu, Hendrickson, and DeForest Buckner in the middle would be a scary sight for opposing offensive lines.

Trey Hendrickson would also benefit from knowing the coach he’d be playing for. Lou Anarumo, the Colts’ current defensive coordinator, was Hendrickson’s DC back in Cincinnati. Anamuro already has one of his former players in Germaine Pratt playing for him. Why not add the best player from his Bengals defense?

Tennessee Titans

Like the Colts, the Titans badly need pass-rush help… or any help of any kind. The Titans are just above the Colts in the sacks department, but they generate slightly fewer pressures than their division rivals. It’s clear that they need some juice in order to boost their pass-rush and turn their defense into something special.

Unlike the Colts, though, the Titans don’t exactly offer a team to contend for the postseason for Trey Hendrickson. Their pass-rush, middling as it may be, is arguably the best part of their team right now. Unless Cam Ward makes a bonkers second-year leap a-la Caleb Williams and his weapons make a marked improvement, it’s hard to see them cracking the top of the AFC South.

What the Titans can offer Hendrickson, though, is money. Lots of it, in fact. The Titans have the most cap space in the 2026 NFL offseason. If they decide to do so, they can offer Hendrickson a massive contract above his projected market value to come play for them. It’s also not all that bad of an option on the field: Hendrickson will be coached by Robert Saleh, the architect of some of the best defenses the 49ers have fielded over the last few years.

Detroit Lions

Unlike the first two options, the Lions are, shall we say, a long shot to sign Trey Hendrickson. They do not have the financial flexibility to give Hendrickson a contract that’s around his market value, and they’ll need to move around some pieces to free up cap space. Whatever Detroit does, they’ll need to convince Hendrickson to sign on a discount of sorts to join the Motor City crew.

What the Lions can offer, though, is perhaps Hendrickson’s best shot of winning the Super Bowl since his early years in Cincinnati. The Lions are one of the best teams in the NFL, boasting one of the best offenses in the league and a defense with playmakers all around. While their defense faltered at times last season, they still have players like Aidan Hutchinson and Brian Branch to keep the defense competitive.

Teams that face the Lions already struggle in dealing with Hutchinson alone: the star pass-rusher’s quickness and wide array of moves makes him a nightmare matchup for offensive tackles. Pairing him with another monster pass-rusher in Hendrickson might just be the move that takes Detroit to the promised land.

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