Proposed Trey Hendrickson trade would make Tampa Bay Buccaneers instant Super Bowl contenders

The Cincinnati Bengals have completely missed the mark regarding defensive end Trey Hendrickson this offseason.

By signing both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals weren’t left with a whole lot of money to work with, even though their off-season plans were to re-sign Chase, Higgins, and Hendrickson.

Well, Trey is the only one who feels left out, and he’s asking why.

“What I can say is, I’ve been very disappointed in the communication that has been had. It’s very, former players have walked in these shoes and what it foreshadows it’s not something that I’m excited about to tell my wife and family. They see how hard I work, there’s no organization that knows me better than this one they see me as an individual and they see how I carry myself as a human being and they know me,” Hendrickson wrote.

“I try not to let the business become personal, I think over the last week or so it’s become personal unfortunately, umm you know, and when there is a lack of communication in any relationship if it’s business or a personal relationship, lack of communication leads to animosity and that leaves my narrative only to me with no clear direction. With the lack of direction and the lack of communication is leading to things that are allowing me to think about what’s going to happen more than how great they have treated me”

That sounds like contract talks are in a great place. He is one of a short list to have back-to-back 17 sack seasons, and he is only getting paid 16 million this year. Others at his position are getting paid over 30 million to be one of the best. But if the Bengals are too cheap for his services, the Buccaneers would be a perfect destination for the elite pass rusher to go.

Tampa was No. 7 in the regular season in sacks with 44, and that was led by Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, both with only 7 sacks apiece. Adding Hendrickson to the mix would be adding a double-digit sack total and taking away any doubt that the Bucs are in the Super Bowl hunt.

What would it take to acquire Hendrickson? More than likely, their first-round pick for 2026, and then Trey gets the big contract that he justly deserves for his production. If the Bengals don’t pony up a contract for Trey soon, I can guarantee he’ll be asking for trade talks.