The Philadelphia Eagles started the season off 4-0 before dropping two straight games. The latest loss against the New York Giants opened up more uncomfortable conversations around the offense.
While that is still a major talking point, the Eagles had edge rusher Za'Darius Smith surprisingly retire on them on Monday, leaving a void on the defensive line. Head coach Nick Sirianni sent Smith a message following the news and also noted his confidence in the players who remain on the roster.
This can just be taken as coachspeak. If the Eagles want to head back to another Super Bowl, they'll need to make a splash at edge rusher, and that's why they need to take a Trey Hendrickson trade seriously.
Eagles Must Consider Trey Hendrickson Trade After Smith's Retirement
Hendrickson and the Bengals have been at a crossroads over a new deal for a while now. This offseason, Hendrickson had a contract hold in before getting a one-year, $29 million deal for the 2025 season. He's set to be an unrestricted free agent this spring, and since the Bengals are 2-4 with Joe Burrow out until at least Week 16, they could be willing to move on from their star pass rusher instead of letting him walk for free.
Over six games this season, Hendrickson has compiled 15 total tackles, eight QB hits, 25 total pressures, 16 hurries, and four sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, Hendrickson owns an 88.9 overall grade (9th among 170 graded edge rushers) and a 90.6 pass-rush grade (5th among 170 graded edge rushers).
During his nine-year NFL career, Hendrickson has tallied 163 QB hits, 15 forced fumbles, and 81 sacks. He has four double-digit sack campaigns, including an NFL-best 17.5 sacks during the 2024 season.
If the Eagles were, in fact, to land Hendrickson, it would give them a sure-fire edge rusher. They would either acquire him as a rental for the remainder of the year or could hand him a lofty extension to keep him around for the remainder of the 2025 campaign and beyond.
Nonetheless, there may not be a better pass rusher available, and the Eagles should seriously consider trading for him. The Eagles are ranked 25th in the NFL with just nine sacks this season. They rolled the dice on Nolan Smith, Josh Uche, Jalyx Hunt, Azeez Ojulari, and Ogbo Okoronkwo, but they haven't produced the way Philly's front office imagined.
Generating pressure is one of the biggest keys to success in the NFL, and the Eagles know that. With Smith no longer on the team, Philadelphia should pull the trigger and find a way to get Hendrickson in town.