With the Cincinnati Bengals having declined to place the franchise tag on defensive end Trey Hendrickson, the 2024 first-team All-Pro selection is now set to hit free agency.
His services should be sought after by the New England Patriots, who are in need of a star pass rusher to help take their already elite defensive unit to another level in 2026.
Why Trey Hendrickson makes sense for the Patriots
The Patriots' defense had a stellar 2025 campaign, allowing the eighth fewest yards in the NFL during the regular season; however, they failed to consistently generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks, finishing with a higher sack total than only six other teams. Bringing in Hendrickson could help revitalize the pass rush and solve one of the team's biggest needs this offseason.
There are some understandable durability concerns about the four-time Pro Bowler, who will be entering his age-32 season and was limited to just seven games last year by a core muscle injury that landed him on injured reserve.
When on the field, though, Hendrickson still played at a high level, earning a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 82.9, 13th best among 115 qualifying edge defenders, while recording 16 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble.
Still, last season was a disappointing result for Hendrickson, who had been holding out during training camp in the hopes of getting more guaranteed money from Cincinnati after posting two consecutive 17.5 sack seasons.
Even if he doesn't end up quite matching that level of output from 2023 and 2024, getting to at least a double-digit sack total would be more than anyone on New England's roster in 2025 was able to record.
Spotrac projects Hendrickson's market value at about $50.9 million over two years, although some analysts believe he'll seek a contract in the range of $99 million to $105 million over three years.
If his price tag falls on the lower end of that spectrum, that is well worth the investment for New England to take a chance on the return to form of a player who, since 2021 is second in the NFL in pressure rate (13.2%) and fourth in total sacks (61).
Getting the 2017 third round pick on a two-year deal would be a particularly big win for the franchise, as it means even if Hendrickson fails to meet expectations, his money is off the books before the team will need cap space to sign cornerback Christian Gonzalez and quarterback Drake Maye to expected mega-deals in a few years.
Passing on Maxx Crosby with this move is the right choice
While there has been a lot of trade buzz surrounding Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, the expected asking price should prompt the Patriots to turn their attention elsewhere.
Crosby certainly had a much more productive 2025 season (73 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and an interception in 15 games) and comes with more upside at three years younger than Hendrickson, but the Raiders' reported demand for a Micah Parsons-type return is far too steep.
Keeping New England's roster competitive down the road will hinge on the franchise developing its top-round draft picks over the coming years into NFL-ready talent that will help conserve cap room by still being on cheaper rookie contracts when it comes time to give those aforementioned big-money pacts to Gonzalez and Maye.
Moving the first two round selections and a premium player, which Las Vegas seems to be after, risks too much of the Patriots' future, making Hendrickson a much more appealing bet.