Trey Hendrickson is going to be the most highly-sought-after player in the 2026 NFL free agency class.
Of course, not everyone is going to be able to afford Hendrickson. He’s also likely not interested in a handful of franchises that would otherwise love to bring him into the fold.
Hendrickson has spent the past five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, and unless they franchise tag him (which would earn him about $30.2 million for one season of work in 2026), he’s more than likely about to hit the open market.
The NFL’s new league year, and as a result, free agency, opens on March 11 at 4 p.m. ET. Two days before that, a “legal tampering” window opens up, which will allow teams to negotiate with soon-to-be free agents.
Daniel Popper of “The Athletic” is reporting that nearly 600 players are set to be free agents this offseason. Out of all of those available players, Hendrickson has been named the top available free agent of the 2026 class by “The Athletic.”
“Hendrickson has been one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL over the past five seasons,” Popper wrote. “He has the third-most sacks in the league since 2020 with 74.5, and he played in only seven games last season due a core-muscle injury that required surgery. Hendrickson plays with a relentless, urgent motor that puts crushing pressure on a tackle’s outside shoulder. He turns the corner and finishes with a straight-line burst, always hunting for the ball. He has 15 career forced fumbles.”
Hendrickson is, without a doubt, an elite pass rusher, and those don’t come available often.
Notably, the projection from “The Athletic” is that Hendrickson will earn a three-year, $99 million contract on the open market. That would equal $33 million a year, which is a hair over what he’d make in 2026 if the Bengals were to franchise him.
Where he ends up is anybody’s guess, but the teams with the most cap space heading into the 2026 offseason are the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets and Washington Commanders.