It’s funny how a year can make such a difference. Last offseason, there were a lot of conversations about Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson potentially getting traded to the Bucs. Different trade scenarios and compensation packages were discussed by various media outlets to see if it could be done. A year later, Hendrickson-to-the-Bucs seems more possible than ever as Hendrickson needs Tampa Bay as much as the Bucs need Hendrickson.

The Bengals decided not to use the franchise tag on their four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher after coming off a season marred by a hip-pelvic injury that saw him only play in seven games last season. Hendrickson, a Florida native who played his college football at FAU, is in need of a new team next season. Tampa Bay desperately needs a pass rusher and surely wouldn’t mind the in-state discount they could get with Hendrickson after a down year and not having to give up draft capital.

Adam Schefter Bridges Trey Hendrickson To The Bucs

ESPN Insider Adam Schefter is perhaps speaking this scenario into existence as he believes that Trey Hendrickson would love the idea of playing in Tampa Bay, especially because the Bucs can make the financial part work. Appearing on the Pardon My Take Podcast with hosts Big Cat and PFT Commenter, Schefter was asked by Bucs super fan Steven Cheah about the plans for Hendrickson this offseason:

Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson – Photo by: USA Today

“I think that he would love to be in Tampa,” Schefter said. “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.”

Hendrickson had back-to-back seasons with 17.5 sacks in 2024 and 2025, and has totaled five forced fumbles over those past two seasons. There’s no doubt that he was one of the best pass rushers in the league when he’s on his game and available. But injuries forced him to miss a lot of time last season, but he did record four sacks in seven games.

The veteran edge rusher has 81 sacks in his career, including four seasons of at least double-digit sacks. Hendrickson is 31 years old and will be 32 in December. Edge rushers don’t typically get better as they get older, which is why it seemed like it was a pipe dream that the Buccaneers would trade any kind of draft value for him given the risk. It gets less risky, though, with him becoming a free agent.

Should The Bucs Pursue The Veteran Edge Rusher?

Pro Football Focus has projected a contract for Hendrickson of one year for $21 million with $17.5 million guaranteed. Is that amount of money worth the risk with Hendrickson coming off a serious surgery?

Bengals EDGE Trey Hendrickson Photo by: USA Today

Tampa Bay needs to find a premier edge rusher int the worst way. The Haason Reddick experiment failed. Former second-round pick Chris Braswell looks to be a bust. David Walker tore his ACL in training camp and can’t be expected to be a factor just yet. Anthony Nelson is what he is at this point, which is an okay backup. Only Yaya Diaby has been a successful draft pick that has hit at edge rusher in recent seasons, but he’s better off as a compliment to a top edge rusher.

The Bucs had their lowest number of sacks as a defense since Todd Bowles has been the play caller at 37 last season. Not having consistent pressure off the edge was the a big reason for that. Tampa Bay’s desperation move was to bring back 37-year old Jason Pierre-Paul, who hadn’t played in two seasons, to add some fire. That didn’t work either.

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

So if Hendrickson wants to play with Tampa Bay, should they make a deal? While the Bucs are likely to also draft an edge rusher in April, free agency is right around the corner. Depending on how much they’re willing to pay, this could alter their plans this offseason.

Check out the entire Pardon My Take episode with Schefter by listening here, or watch the episode on Netflix.

Pewter Report recently came back from the NFL Combine in Indianapolis where the Bucs met with several edge rushers and defensive players. We talked about who could be fits for Tampa Bay in that episode. Watch it and subscribe to our PewterReportTV YouTube channel.