Adam Schefter Links Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson as Potential Buccaneers Fit

Unless something unexpected happens, Trey Hendrickson will hit the market when free agency’s legal tampering window opens Monday, since the Bengals aren’t keeping him under the franchise tag.

Before Hendrickson even knew he’d be a free agent, several teams were floated as possible suitors. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on the “Pardon My Take” podcast that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could end up landing him.

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“I think that he would love to be in Tampa,” Schefter said about Hendrickson, via JoeBucsFan. “I think he would love to be in Tampa. He lives in Ponte Vedra. I don’t think the Jaguars have the requisite cap room for him.”

Tampa Bay has a clear need for someone like Hendrickson—the Bucs finished 2025 tied for 18th in the league with just 37 sacks, and Hendrickson has piled up 35 sacks since 2023, the most of any player over that span.

Hendrickson’s value is hard to gauge, though—he managed only seven games last season before core surgery in December, and he turned 31 that same month.

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“Tampa would be a great fit,” Schefter said about Hendrickson. “I think, in a perfect world, Trey would like to stay in Florida. No state income tax. But he’s also open to going to the best possible situation. If Trey has a pick, I think he’d like to end up [with the Bucs]. But we will see if it works out that way.”

After taking a revised, raise-bumped deal that left him in a contract year with Cincinnati last summer, Hendrickson will want a real payday now. You have to wonder if the Florida factor might tempt him to give Tampa Bay even a slight hometown discount.

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