The Cincinnati Bengals want to make it seem like they’re open to anything when it comes to Trey Hendrickson. Reports from Sunday say the club remains “listening” to trade offers for the 30-year-old defensive end, and there’s reason to believe why they have their ears open, even after team president Mike Brown claimed trading him wasn’t an option one month ago.

If I were to make a call right now, I’d say Hendrickson still won’t be traded and will be with the Bengals for this season. That prediction, however, doesn’t make for any entertaining scenarios.

I asked around the A to Z Sports beat for hypothetical trade offers Cincinnati could hear for Hendrickson. Let’s take a look at which one stands above the rest.

Three Hypothetical Trade Offers For Cincinnati Bengals Defensive End Trey Hendrickson

Cleveland Browns

Proposed swap: Cincinnati trades Hendrickson for DE Isaiah McGuire and a 2026 third-round pick

The idea of the Bengals trading Trey Hendrickson within the AFC North is likely a non-starter, but Jordan Schultz reported that the Cleveland Browns are among the teams that have shown interest in Hendrickson. That fits Andrew Berry’s reputation for always doing his due diligence, even if a deal never materializes. Realistically, Cincinnati probably doesn’t want to move Hendrickson to an AFC opponent, especially not to a division rival. Still, if it came down to it, the Browns could put together a strong trade package.

McGuire is projected to start opposite Myles Garrett this season and could be primed for a breakout. He graded out as an elite run defender and an above-average pass rusher last year when he made three starts (16 games total) and recorded 2.5 sacks. On top of that, Cleveland’s 2026 third-round pick should fall in the 60s. The thought of pairing Hendrickson with Garrett is the kind of dream scenario Browns fans in Northeast Ohio can’t help but imagine. It is probably just that: a dream.

– Brandon Little, A to Z Sports Cleveland

Indianapolis Colts

Proposed swap: Cincinnati trades Hendrickson for DE Kwity Paye and a 2026 third-round pick with sack stipulations that can make it become a second-round pick.

Oh, fun, here we go again with a hypothetical trade package from the Indianapolis Colts for Hendrickson. It’s felt like I’ve had to keep John on speed dial with how often the Colts have been linked to the 2024 sack leader this offseason. As annoying as it is, the Colts and Hendrickson are still a great fit for each other if the Bengals choose to trade him.

Hendrickson showed he is a perfect fit in Lou Anarumo’s defense and would be a great mentor for Laiatu Latu. The Colts also only have two edge rushers on their roster that are under contract past this season: Latu and 2025 second-round pick J.T. Tuimoloau.

The addition of Hendrickson on a new deal would give the team an instant upgrade on the edge and an alpha pass rusher for the 2025 season, helping Latu and Tuimoloau face fewer double teams and allowing them to develop at their own pace. So the Colts offer Kwity Paye, who is either an expiring contract for the Bengals or an edge rusher who can be extended for much less than what Hendrickson is asking for, along with a 2026 third-round pick that can become a second-round pick if he records more than 15 sacks for a third straight season.

– Destin Adams, A to Z Sports Indianapolis

San Francisco 49ers

Proposed swap: Cincinnati trades Hendrickson for DE Bryce Huff and a 2026 second-round pick

The San Francisco 49ers and Hendrickson might not make a ton of sense at first glance, but when you dive into the makings of their defense, you can start to piece the puzzle together.

For one, the defense has one proven pass rusher: Nick Bosa. Mykel Williams is a stud, but he’s a rookie. And behind those two are a lot of guys. The last time we saw Robert Saleh coordinate the 49ers’ defense, they were deep and dynamic at EDGE. Right now, they aren’t. Oh, and they lost two significant contributors in their back seven via Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga. Meaning, their pass rush will have to carry them. Bolstering it with Hendrickson makes a ton of sense for San Francisco, but what about the Bengals?

Well, you send Trey to the other conference, and in return, you receive a 2026 second-round pick and Bryce Huff. Sounds like a deal that makes everyone happy to me.

– Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports Pittsburgh

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Which Offer Should The Bengals Take (Hypothetically, Of Course)?

This exercise provides decent assurance that, regardless of who calls the Bengals, they will not receive a player even remotely close to Hendrickson in return. That’s a big issue for a team hoping to win a Super Bowl right now.

The Browns’ offer suffers from this, and as Brandon astutely points out, trading Hendrickson to an AFC North rival is simply not possible. Cleveland would’ve never considered sending Myles Garrett down I-71. There’s no reason to believe the feelings differ from Cincinnati’s perspective with Hendrickson.

Indianapolis and Anarumo have an actual chance at landing Hendrickson despite the AFC ties, but if the choice is between a pass-rusher and a second-round pick, and a pass-rusher and a third-round pick that isn’t a second-rounder yet, then the choice is rather obvious.

San Francisco gets Hendrickson for a confirmed second and Huff.

The Bengals enter 2026 with three top 64-picks guaranteed, along with a 27-year-old edge with Super Bowl experience and a 10-sack season on his resume. It won’t be enough to get Cincinnati to accept in real life, but at least this whole mess gets put to bed in our hypothetical reality.

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