As we move past the 4th of July festivities, may I remind you that we have NFL football this month? That’s right, on Thursday, July 31st, the Hall of Fame Game will take place between the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Chargers. With football on the horizon, there is still a ton of uncertainty throughout the league. There are quarterback competitions everywhere, drama with unsigned first round picks, and some big names potentially still on the trade market.
Arguably the biggest (and most vocal) name is Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. The highly successful, yet disgruntled sack artist, is in his second offseason of having an ugly contract standoff that has included trade requests. If Cincinnati does finally agree to trade him rather than pay him, could he be a fit in Seattle and does he fit the timeline?
Why wouldn’t John Schneider and Mike Macdonald be interested? The 6-4, 270 lbs edge rusher has quietly been one of the best defensive ends in the NFL for the past five seasons. During that time, Trey has averaged over 14 sacks a game, while hauling in 17.5 sacks in both 2023 and 2024.
In his first two seasons, he helped guide the Bengals to the Super Bowl and to the brink of another, losing at the buzzer to Kansas City in the 2022 AFC championship game. While injuries have derailed the past two seasons for the Bengals team, Hendrickson’s game has elevated to a whole different level, and 2024 may end up being the best year of his career. Trey finished at the runner up for Defensive Player of the Year, amassing those 17.5 sacks along with 36 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, and six passes deflected.
If he is truly attainable, Seattle could be acquiring the quietest (contract dispute excluded) blue chip pass rusher in the game. John Schneider has a history of swinging big on deals, whether the fan base feels like Seattle is close to championship contention or not. From Percy Harvin to Jimmy Graham and Duane Brown to Jamal Adams, Schneider is not afraid to make a move.
For Mike Macdonald, this could potentially be the queen-level chess piece needed to see this defense become one of the five best units in the league, and that may be underselling it. While Hendrickson is not the best run defender, a healthy Uchenna Nwosu and DeMarcus Lawrence can handle the run defense, while the quartet of Trey, Leonard Williams, Boye Mafe, and Derick Hall present one of the best pass rushing groups in the game.
That’s one of the best defensive lines in football, paired with one of the best secondaries in the game. The ceiling of this team completely changes. What if this offense has a truly Super Bowl defense to protect it? The defensive energy could bring Lumen field back to life, and with a weakened NFC West, a division title and potentially multiple home playoff games are realistically on the table. We’ve seen elite units carry teams deep into the postseason before, and I don’t think anyone in the NFC would be excited to see Macdonald’s defense.
Why Seattle may be hesitant
I think the biggest factor is more so on the Bengals side. They’re a notoriously cheap franchise that operates in their own realm of reality. If not for hitting the lottery with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, they’d probably still be the “Bungles” or stuck in the Marvin Lewis purgatory.
They may rather let Hendrickson rot at home, rather than trade him, or they may be asking for a first round pick for his services. I may value him as that type of player, but being in the last year of his contract, that’s not worth the risk of him potentially leaving. Does Cincinnati care, that remains to be seen.
There’s also the very real question of whether Trey fits the timeline of this Seahawks team. His addition probably helps push this team over the top and comfortably into a playoff position, but is this roster with him able to compete with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles? Does an extension make sense for sides, and how will a 31-year-old pass rusher age here in Seattle? There are quite a few second contract extensions that are coming down the pipe for the Seahawks, and they may not want to give over $20 million a year to a player that would be 34 by the end of his contract.
Verdict
Did you know that it has been five seasons since the Seahawks have won the NFC West, or that it will be a decade since the Seahawks hosted a home playoff game in front of fans this season? It’s time to change that. This franchise is going through a transition, has good pieces and people in place, and needs to make a splash to get that experience, even if 2026 and 2027 feel like more accurate years to make a title run.
If I’m Seattle, I’m offering a 3rd round pick and a 5th round pick, and striking the deal, if Hendrickson is willing to negotiate. I’d even be willing to give up a 2nd round pick straight up to Cincinnati, but I’d 100% want an extension agreement.
I’ve seen mock trades where Seattle would be sending Mafe to Cincinnati, and I want no part of that. I want this pass rushing overload. I want to keep Hendrickson and Mafe together, and help to keep them fresh. If there’s a cap casualty to look at, I’d suppose Nwosu would be the name to look at.
End of the day, I think the addition of Trey Hendrickson completes this team’s defensive identity, and adds a true blue chip talent to this roster that should view winning the NFC West as the goal for 2025.
Verdict: Buy
