Just a few days before the free agency frenzy began, a report surfaced about the Jacksonville Jaguars were trying to acquire star defensive end Maxx Crosby before the Baltimore Ravens ultimately traded for him. After missing out on Crosby, the Jags still need to add a pass rusher. Given that they were seemingly willing to spare no expense, it would make sense to target the best one available in the open market.
After years of waiting for a top-market contract, Trey Hendrickson is at last set to become a free agent. He should have no shortage of suitors. The trouble is that signing him won't come cheap. That could make it extremely challenging for Jacksonville to make a bid for his services.
The Jaguars could have trouble competing with other teams for Trey Hendrickson
Joel Corry of CBS Sports took a look at the asking prices of 10 intriguing defensive players scheduled to test the open market. He expects Trey Hendrickson to get a two-year deal that pays him an annual average of $32.5 million with $47.5 million in overall guarantees, noting that his insistance in wanting gauranteed money in the second year played a role in his inability to strike an extension with the Cincinnati Bengals.
"Hendrickson's five-year tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals appears to be coming to an end since he wasn't given a $30.2 million franchise tag. A divorce seemed inevitable after contentious negotiations last year didn't result in a contract extension," Corry wrote. "A big sticking point was Hendrickson's insistance on guaranteed money in the second year of a new deal. He received a $13 million raise to his 2025 million salary from $16 million to $29 million to end his training camp hold-in."
What stands out about Corry's market value for Hendrickson is that he projects teams to pay a premium for him despite the fact that a pelvic injury limted him to seven games and four sacks. Then again, the former Florida Atlantic Owl has been one to top pass rushers in the league, so there are reasons to think he'll be back to being his dominant self once he's back at full strenght.
A third-round pick in the 2017 draft, Hendrickson registered 70.5 sacks and 12 forced fumbles from 2020-2024, making the Pro Bowl four times and earning a First-Team All-Pro designation in that snap.
The Jaguars may want to target more affordable options than Trey Hendrickson
Not long after the window to use the franchise deadline close, Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports dubbed Trey Hendrickson a winner because this will be first time he'll get to negotiate a new contract in a while. At the time, Spotract projected him to sign a two-year contract worth $51 million.
But even if Hendrickson were to get an annual average of $25.1 million, as Spotrac, suggests, that could be too rich for the Jaguars to shell out. That would in turn make the Joel Correy's estimate of $32.5 million per year even more difficult to match. This doesn't mean that Jacksonville won't make a run for the veteran pass rusher but rather that the team's brass may turn to more affordable alternatives.
If the Jagss aren't able to sign Hendrickson or pass on him altogether, they could target Kwity Payer, Bofo Maye, Arnold Ebiketie, or K'Lavon Chaison. The draft will have no shortage of pass rushers in Rounds 2 or 3. Re-signing cornerback Montaric Brown would allow Jacksonville to take that route.
There's no doubt that Trey Hendrickson would turbocharge the pass rush, but it won't be the end of the world if the Jaguars opt for other less pricey options.