Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
The Cincinnati Bengals are staring down the barrel of having a major hole to fill in 2025, as edge rusher Trey Hendrickson could be traded in due time.
Hendrickson and the Bengals have been trying to hammer out a contract extension since last offseason, but to no avail. Now, the team has given the four-time Pro Bowler permission to seek a trade and his departure feels inevitable.
Replacing an elite edge rusher like Hendrickson will be no small task and the best the Bengals can hope for is to get close. One player who could help fill the void is three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher, Za’Darius Smith.
Smith was cut loose by the Lions over the weekend and is now looking for a new home for 2025. Sportskeeda’s Andre Castillo pegged the Bengals as a possible landing spot.
The Cincinnati Bengals already lost local hero Sam Hubbard to retirement a few days ago. They might lose sack leader Trey Hendrickson to a trade next.
And that will leave them with absolutely no top-tier pass-rushers – quite the nightmare for a team that is already not known to be a top defensive team outside of sacking quarterbacks. That is a major hole that Za’Darius Smith can fill immediately.
While Smith is set to turn 33 in September, he showed he still has gas left in the tank after a 2024 campaign that saw him tally nine sacks, including five with the Cleveland Browns and four with the Lions.
Smith isn’t the elite edge rusher Hendrickson is, but he’d be an adequate bridge until the Bengals figure out their long-term solution. From there, the Bengals can re-sign Joseph Ossai and then draft an edge rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Due to his age, Smith should garner a reasonable short-term deal. The Bengals are in a good spot with cap space, so they can definitely afford him.
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