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Trey Hendrickson has been sidelined since Week 8, and the Cincinnati Bengals are not expected to see their star pass rusher for the rest of the 2025 campaign. Hendrickson recently underwent core muscle surgery, according to NFL Media, and is looking at a recovery window of about six weeks. With four weeks remaining in the regular season and Cincinnati all but out of the playoff picture at 4-9, it's curtains for Hendrickson.   

While the headline stemming from this news item centers around Hendrickson being done for the year, it may also mean he's played his final snap for the Bengals. The 31-year-old is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this coming offseason, which puts his future in Cincinnati in doubt. That's especially true when factoring in the soap opera the two sides have been entangled in over the previous few years, which included multiple trade requests. 

Back in 2024, Hendrickson's trade request was ultimately not granted. However, this past offseason, the pass rusher was allowed to seek a deal that would ship him out of Cincinnati, but nothing came to pass. During training camp, Hendrickson was a hold-in until he agreed to a restructured contract for the 2025 season, but no more years were added onto the deal. 

Given that the Bengals have been reluctant to extend Hendrickson, it seems like he could very likely hit the open market. But where will he end up? Let's identify a handful of potential landing spots.  

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are still grappling with the loss of Daniel Jones (Achilles) for the season, so it may be difficult to envision an offseason addition. However, this is a roster that is ready to compete now. While they have to address quarterback in some capacity (Jones himself is set to be a free agent), they could stand to add a pass rusher as well. Entering Week 15, Indy ranks 23rd in the NFL in pressure rate (33.5%) and 18th in sack rate (6.7%). The Colts are currently projected to have about $47.5 million in available cap space this offseason, and some of those funds could be utilized toward bringing in Hendrickson, who has a relationship with current defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo (former DC of the Bengals).  

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders are a weird team to try to project for 2026. On the one hand, this season has been a disaster as the Geno Smith and Pete Carroll experiment has blown up in their face, coming into the final month of the year already eliminated from the playoffs at 2-11. That said, there are still pieces to like on the roster, which includes Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty on offense and, of course, Maxx Crosby on defense. Adding Hendrickson to pair opposite of Crosby would create one of the top pass-rushing duos in the league if both are healthy. While the Raiders need to figure out what they want to do at quarterback next season, they have money to burn as they are projected to have roughly $107.1 million in available space (via Over the Cap), which is second-most in the NFL. 

Washington Commanders

The 2025 season has been a nightmare for Washington. After going to the NFC Championship during Year 1 of the Jayden Daniels era, the organization was hit hard by injuries. Daniels missed multiple games, as did top wideout Terry McLaurin. While that hampered the offense, the defense struggled mightily. Entering Week 15, Washington is giving up 6.2 yards per play (31st in the NFL) and 27.2 points per game (28th). The unit's pressure rate (19th) and sack rate (15th) are also pedestrian, so adding someone who can disrupt the quarterback like Hendrickson could go a long way for Dan Quinn's defense. The Commanders also have plenty of money to help fix that side of the ball, possessing $81.9 million in available space this offseason (fifth-most in the NFL). 

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have recorded just 19 sacks on the season entering Week 15, which has them ranked 30th in the NFL. Meanwhile, their sack rate is even worse, coming in at 31st in the league (3.9%) while their 30.4% pressure rate clocks in a 29th. Needless to say, they could use a pass rusher and will have the capital to target someone like Hendrickson, who also fits their timeline to compete right away. Baltimore is projected to have a little over $40 million in cap space this offseason. On top of this, addressing a key need for the Ravens, it would also be a great heel turn for Hendrickson by staying in the AFC North and squaring off against his former Bengals team twice a year. 

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys will need to do some salary cap gymnastics in order to make this work. At the moment, Dallas is slated to be $47.9 million over the salary cap, so Jerry Jones will need to get his books in order before free agency rolls around. Putting those financial hurdles over to the side, however, it's a fascinating fit. The Cowboys reportedly checked in on possibly acquiring Hendrickson leading up to the 2025 trade deadline, but no deal came across the wire. If the club had interest before, it very well could be interested in him again, especially since it doesn't cost any draft capital to bring him in. Hendrickson would help fill the shoes of Micah Parsons off the edge and continue to boost a Dallas defensive line that did bring in Quinnen Williams at the deadline.