Trey Hendrickson has reportedly been open to a trade for months. And now, one destination makes more sense than any other.
The Indianapolis Colts, sitting at 5-1 and first in the AFC South, have gone from intriguing to legitimate in a hurry.
Shane Steichen’s offense is balanced, the locker room has fully bought in, and quarterback Daniel Jones this season’s biggest surprise.
But for all the early success, there’s still one thing missing: a closer on defense.
Enter Trey Hendrickson.
The Scheme That Makes It Make Sense
Prior to this year, DC Lou Anarumo was actually the DC for the Cincinnati Bengals, running a defense led by, you guessed it, Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson is a good player period. But Anarumo’s system utilized him fully by freeing him to attack gaps, stunt inside, and play with less responsibility against the run.
That’s the key context missing from most surface level trade talk: Hendrickson is elite in a very specific environment. Put him in a standard front and he’s good; put him in Anarumo’s defense and he’s a nightmare.
So yes, the connection matters. It’s not just “familiarity.” It’s proof of concept. And timing, as always in the NFL, might be everything.
The Bengals are 2-4 and falling apart, mainly due to a Joe Burrow turf toe injury. And with Hendrickson in the final year of his contract, he could very easily be on the trade block, especially since Cincinnati has made it pretty clear they don’t want to pay him.
The Colts look ready to compete now. And their core led by surprise MVP candidate Daniel Jones, receiver Michael Pittman Jr., rookie TE Tyler Warren, and a rejuvenated Jonathan Taylor has made that clear.
But defensively, the formula is clear: they’re one impact player away from turning pressure into production.
Why This Move Would Say Everything About the Colts’ Future
Right now, Indy ranks middle of the pack in sacks per dropback. Their pressures often die before becoming drive killers.
And that’s exactly what makes Trey Hendrickson such a compelling fit. Since 2021, he’s averaged over 15 sacks per season.
But the real story here isn’t just about Hendrickson. It’s about what his pursuit would say about who the Colts are now.
If general manager Chris Ballard stays quiet, it reinforces what fans have long believed: that he’s more comfortable playing the long game than cashing in on the present and that he’d rather protect draft capital than push it to the center of the table.
But if Ballard makes this move, it signals something else entirely: that the window has opened, and the organization knows it. That this is no longer a rebuild or a bridge year, it’s a chance to make noise in the AFC right now.
For years, Ballard has hoarded picks and cap space, building for someday. The 2025 Colts are showing that “someday” might already be here.
A Hendrickson deal wouldn’t just be about fixing a defense as well as a philosophical shift. A shift that shows that this front office finally sees the roster the way the players do: ready.
