In his five years away from the Crescent City, Trey Hendrickson became one of the NFL's premier pass rushers. This offseason, he could return to the New Orleans Saints.
Just a couple of years ago, it didn't seem like Hendrickson would ever leave the Cincinnati Bengals. However, over the past 18 months, talks between the two camps have soured, with Hendrickson wanting a long-term deal and the Bengals not wanting to shell out the money. His hip injury this past season didn't help things, as it prevented him from playing in 10 games in 2025.
A player like Hendrickson doesn't typically hit free agency. It's a situation that probably every general manager across the league has been paying attention to. Hopefully Mickey Loomis can crunch numbers and get the reunion happening, because Hendrickson could really boost the defense in New Orleans.
Trey Hendrickson could be the final piece of the puzzle in New Orleans
A reunion between the Saints and Trey Hendrickson could be a recipe for success in New Orleans. He gathered 61 sacks over his half a decade in Cincinnati, which is the fourth most in the NFL since 2021. Only Micah Parsons, T.J. Watt, and Myles Garrett have more.
That would pair very nicely with current Saints defensive end Chase Young, who is coming off of the best season of his career, where he gathered double-digit sacks (10) for the first time. If the Saints add Trey Hendrickson, he and Young could boost the Saints' pass rush to the top 10 of the league, somewhere they haven't been in three seasons.
In 2025, the Saints defense was ninth in the league total yards. If they were to add a top 10 pass rush to that, it could catapult the defense to the top four in the NFL. That was the biggest thing missing from the unit. Young and Jordan each had double digit sack seasons, but the pass rush could have been more consistent.
There's youth in the secondary, but a potent pass rush can offset that. It's far from the only issue, but bolstering it with a player like Hendrickson would quickly solve that issue. From there, you'll have a potentially elite duo for years. Young and Hendrickson are in the prime of their careers and should keep Cameron Jordan in a rotational role to give him more juice throughout the 17-game season.
A defense like that would also give the offense some relief. Not that they were worried before, but if the defense is good enough to be in the top four in the league, it will lead to a calm atmosphere on offense.
The Saints will actually have some money to spend for once this offseason. Now what they decide to do with the money is up to them. A reunion with a former draft pick of theirs is bound to be in the back of their head. Currently, Hendrickson's market value is at $25.4 million a year, according to Spotrac. That makes this idea even more possible.