Washington Commanders A 'logical Landing Spot' For Bengals' De Trey Hendrickson

Earlier this year, the Cincinnati Bengals gave defensive end Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade. Despite the Bengals' statements of wanting to keep Hendrickson, along with wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase, he is the only one of the three without a new deal. On Monday, he told ESPN that he hasn't spoken with the Bengals since the NFL draft nearly three weeks ago.

"Rather than using collaboration to … bring me home to the team, they are no longer communicating," Hendrickson said. "I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that's hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals."

Given the lack of communication between the two sides, it seems Hendrickson is looking for a new home after leading the NFL in sacks (17.5) in 2024. The Washington Commanders have repeatedly been named landing spots for Hendrickson, and that hasn't changed as CBS Sports named the franchise one of the most logical landing spots for the defender.

The Commanders dealt picks to add both Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil this offseason. Yet they could still use a bona fide pass rusher for Dan Quinn's defense, which got more of a secondary focus early in the 2025 draft with Trey Amos' arrival at cornerback. If Washington is serious about contending, Hendrickson could be a quick fix up front, pairing with Dorance Armstrong and Co.

The Commanders logged 43 sacks in 2024, a quarter of which are attributed to Dante Fowler Jr., who led the team with 10.5 sacks. Washington let Fowler walk. Linebacker Frankie Luvu had eight sacks last season and could be used more as a pass rusher in 2025.

Washington could absolutely use a guy like Hendrickson, who logged 17.5 sacks last year and in 2023. Never mind that he's 30 and working toward the end of his career; he obviously doesn't feel that way and wants to prove that he can continue to play at a high level. The Bengals would be foolish to let him go, but if they can't afford his price tag, well, the Commanders have some extra cap space they can work with in 2025.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders a 'logical landing spot' for Bengals' DE Trey Hendrickson