With no end in sight to the ongoing Trey Hendrickson saga, there were reports that the Patriots were sniffing around at a potential trade. While New England was understandably doing its due diligence, it doesn’t sound like they’re close to acquiring the star pass rusher.
[RELATED: Patriots Open To Trade Acquisition]
According to Josina Anderson, the Patriots feel the cost to acquire Hendrickson is currently “too much.” Dianna Russini of The Athletic adds that New England doesn’t appear close to acquiring the 2024 sacks leader.
There were rumblings yesterday that the Patriots had reached out to the Bengals about a potential Hendrickson trade. That report followed remarks from New England’s de facto general manager Eliot Wolf that the organization would be willing to part with a first- or second-round pick to facilitate a trade for a star player. Wolf obviously didn’t mention any names, but the timing of both reports did raise some eyebrows.
If the Patriots are indeed willing to part with a first-round pick for a hypothetical “star player,” it stands to reason that the Bengals may be asking for even more draft compensation in return for Hendrickson. An acquiring team would presumably be willing to pay the edge rusher what he’s seeking, so a trade would likely end this ongoing storyline. Instead, the Hendrickson watch continues, with the player most recently acknowledging that guarantees remain the sticking point in negotiations with the Bengals (per ESPN’s Ben Baby).
While any team would surely welcome a player of Hendrickson’s talent, the Patriots are a particularly logical landing spot after the team ranked last in sacks in 2024. The Patriots only compiled 28 total sacks, trailing the 31st-ranked Falcons by three. For comparison’s sake, Hendrickson has collected 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons.
To the front office’s credit, the organization did bring in some pass-rush help this offseason. Free agent additions Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson should provide some help on the edge, while Milton Williams has shown an elite ability to get to the QB in the middle of the defensive line. With Keion White showing promise as a sophomore, New England’s pass rush should look a whole lot better in 2025. Of course, adding Hendrickson to the grouping would transform the Patriots’ pass-rush unit to one of the best in the NFL.
Based on how the Bengals have operated throughout this entire saga, it’s not a surprise they’re not feeling any urgency to figure out a solution. If Cincy does eventually decide to move on, the Patriots would remain a logical landing spot.