Back in the 2017 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints struck gold with their third-round selection of Trey Hendrickson out of Florida Atlantic. It took Hendrickson a bit to get going but by his fourth year with the Saints, the pass-rusher became a household name, racking up 13.5 sacks and setting himself up for a major payday.
The Saints were unable to keep Hendrickson in the Big Easy and he eventually signed a massive contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. That's where Hendrickson spent the next five years of his career and he was a massive part in getting the Bengals to a Super Bowl and AFC Championship in back-to-back seasons.
After back and forth drama with the Bengals, however, Hendrickson will hit free agency for the second time in his career. Unfortunately for Saints fans, the recent rumor would not bode well for them as he's been linked to join the rival Buccaneers by NFL insider Adam Schefter.
“I think that [Hendrickson] would love to be in Tampa,” Schefter said on Pardon My Take. “I think he would love to be in Tampa. He lives in Ponte Verde. I don’t think the Jaguars have the requisite cap room for him... Tampa would be a great fit. I think in a perfect world, Trey would like to stay in Florida. No state income tax. But, he’s also open to going to the best possible situation... If Trey has a pick, I think he’d like to end up (with the Bucs) but we will see if it works out that way.”
Saints fans would hate to see Trey Hendrickson sign with Buccaneers
This would be one of the worst-case scenarios for Saints fans. Not only would a former Saints draft pick be joining the division but he'd be going to a team that, outside of this past season, has dominated the division and been the NFC South playoff representative.
Hendrickson might have dealt with injuries last year but, the fact of the matter is, he'd make the Buccaneers a better team. They landed in the bottom half of the league in sacks last year and Hendrickson would help them improve there. Hendrickson tallied 17.5 sacks in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons and he's only 31 years old, so there's definitely plenty left in the tank.
The hope is that Hendrickson doesn't end up in Tampa whether it's because another team (though hopefully not the Falcons or Panthers either) offers him more money or whatever the situation might be. Anything that makes the Bucs better is not good news for the Saints.