Star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals remain at a contract impasse. He's made it clear that he won't attend training camp unless he gets a new deal or is traded to a team that will do so. While the Jacksonville Jaguars may not be a likely partner, a post Hendrickson made on social media might be a sign that he wouldn't mind playing for them.
Following the news that Hendrickson won't show up at training camp, he posted a picture on Instagram of himself driving in Florida.
Long-term extension talks between the #Bengals and star Trey Hendrickson broke down over guaranteed money before camp… and Hendrickson has now indicated he left the state.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 22, 2025
He just posted this on Instagram. pic.twitter.com/Le2aKris0t
Bengals owner Mike Brown recently pointed out that he believes the team and Hendrickson were having contract talks, but it doesn't look like a deal is imminent. The fact that Cincinnati is only offering one year of guaranteed money, but other premier pass rushers have gotten three is a major holdup in negotiations.
A third-round pick in 2018, Hendrickson has tallied 70.5 sacks the past five seasons and earned four Pro Bowl designations along the way. Rightly, he wants a contract that reflects his status as one of the top pass rushers in the league, but Cincy has a histoy of not paying a premium for their top players.
Hendrickson has been looking for a long-term contract dating back to 2023. He got a one-year extension then that temporarely solved the issue. However, the Florida Atlantic product is still waiting for a multi-year deal.
Related: Pre-training camp Jaguars' 53-man roster projection
The Jaguars may be one of three teams Trey Hendrickson would love to play for
The Jacksonville Jaguars aren't the NFL team that plays in Florida. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Miami Dolphins would also qualify as trade destinations for Trey Hendrickson based on his social media post. It's also worth noting that he has a residence there. With that out of the way, it's hard to see the Jags making a push for him.
After the 2025 NFL Draft, Ariv Meirov of The 33rd Team suggested that Jacksonville could make a bold move before the regular season, but trading for Hendrickson seems unlikely when you consider the needed assets to pull it off.
Aside from having to give him a top market deal, the Jaguars would probably need to give the Cincinnati Bengals a second or first-round pick and another early-round selection. Currently, they don't have a second-rounder in 2026 after trading up for Travis Hunter in April.
But leaving the potential compensation aside, the Jaguars are set on the edges. They have bookend pass rushers Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. Emmanuel Ogbah and Dawuane Smoot are solid rotational pieces.
Granted, Hendrickson is significantly better than Ogbah and Smoot, and he would turbocharge the Jacksonville defense. However, he's not a luxury the Jags can afford when you take into account that Walker is in line for a payday.
The bottom line is that acquiring Trey Hendrickson would turn the Jaguars defense into one of the best of the league, but it appears to be highly unlikely despite the fact that he would surely love to play in the same state where he lives.