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Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters has done a good job addressing his team’s many needs this offseason. However, Washington had more needs than most teams would have coming off an appearance in the NFC championship game.
One area that Peters didn’t address, at least according to those looking in from outside, is edge rusher. The Commanders were mentioned as a possible suitor for Myles Garrett until he signed an extension with the Browns. Washington has often been linked to Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson since he was permitted to negotiate with other teams on a potential trade.
It’s unclear how much the Commanders spoke to Hendrickson’s representation, as the Bengals have made it clear they want to extend the NFL’s leader in sacks last season. He has one year remaining on his contract and is severely underpaid compared to others at his position.
The noise around Hendrickson has been quiet recently, especially with the NFL draft over. But Hendrickson’s situation was back in the news Monday when he released the following statement to Adam Schefter of ESPN:
“No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft,” the statement read. “The offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level. Coaches are aware of these past conversations. Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating. I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that’s hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals.”
So, what does this mean? Well, Hendrickson is clearly not happy with the Bengals. That doesn’t mean he’s going anywhere. He still has one year remaining on his deal, and Cincinnati is notoriously difficult to deal with.
Peters and head coach Dan Quinn have said all the right things about the current group of edge rushers. If the Commanders were to add someone from the outside, it would likely be a veteran free agent. The most impactful player they could still add would be Hendrickson.
Is that realistic? Remember, the Commanders are already down two draft choices for next season, including a second-rounder due to the Laremy Tunsil trade. So another trade involving draft picks, at least for 2026, appears unlikely.
The most likely outcome is Hendrickson playing out the final year of his deal in Cincinnati.
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