The expiring contract of Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson was one of the team’s biggest storylines heading into the 2025 NFL season. Though the two sides reached an agreement on a raise during the season, they were unable to reach a long-term extension.
Thus, the four-time Pro Bowl edge defender is a free agent. He’s coming off an injury-shortened season, in which he had four sacks in seven games. Still, he’s had 74.5 sacks in his last 87 games, with double-digit sack totals in four of his last six seasons.
Since Hendrickson is available on the open market, there will be plenty of teams interested in him.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have some decisions to make off the edge. Odafe Oweh is an impending free agent this offseason, and Tuli Tuipulotu figures to be in line for a massive extension after a Pro Bowl season in 2025. It doesn’t seem like both of them will be part of their long-term plans so that they could go outside the box for an addition.
Though the Chargers ranked eighth in PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric in 2025, they lost defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to the Baltimore Ravens’ head coaching job. To offset that loss, they could be more aggressive and add to their defense this offseason. There’s no bigger swing they can make in free agency than signing Hendrickson.
New England Patriots
They came just one win short of immortality, but the New England Patriots deserve a ton of credit for going from 4-13 in 2024 to 13-4 in 2025, winning the AFC and reaching the Super Bowl. The scariest thing about them, though, is that they’ll have a chance to get even better in 2026.
With over $42 million in cap space, the Patriots will have spending flexibility after an aggressive free agency period last year. K’Lavon Chaisson is an impending free agent, leaving an open hole along New England’s defensive line that includes Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, and Harold Landry. Hendrickson would make that unit unstoppable.
Chicago Bears
To afford Hendrickson, the Chicago Bears would need to create space through restructured contracts; Joe Thuney, Jaylon Johnson, and Montez Sweat are all options. They have a lot of 2027 cap space and flexibility to add more by dumping bad contracts, so they can eat into some in order to free up space in 2026.
Hendrickson started his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints, where Dennis Allen was his defensive coordinator. Allen is now the defensive coordinator in Chicago, and they have a massive need for some pass-rushing help. It would give Hendrickson a chance to make a push for a Super Bowl ring that’s eluded him to this point in his career.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There were plenty of factors that played into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ second-half collapse in 2025. One of them could be attributed to a lack of sack production off the edge; YaYa Diaby was their only edge rusher with more than three sacks for the entire season.
Had it not been for a disastrous 2-7 finish to close out the year, the Buccaneers would have won the NFC South for the fifth year in a row. They’re clearly good enough to make the playoffs in a weak division if they don’t self-destruct again. A big move like Hendrickson could get them back into the mix and competing for a Super Bowl appearance again.
Important Dates in 2026 NFL Free Agency
The legal tampering period runs for 52 hours, opening Monday, March 9, at noon ET and closing at 3:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 11, just minutes before free agency officially begins.
During that window, teams can negotiate with the certified agents of players set to become unrestricted free agents. Verbal agreements can be reached and reported, but nothing is official yet.
For the first time, teams can recruit up to five players and speak with each for up to 1 hour via video or phone, rather than routing all contact through agents. The player’s agent must be present on every call. If a team wants to meet a player in person or have him visit a facility, that still must wait until free agency is officially underway.
Free agency officially opens at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 11, when the NFL’s new league year begins. That’s when contracts become official, not when they’re reported. The trading period also opens at that moment, allowing previously agreed-upon deals to be completed.
All teams must be cap-compliant by the 4 p.m. Wednesday deadline. The 2026 salary cap is set at $301.2 million, a $22 million increase from 2025.
Most of the market’s top players will have agreed to terms well before Wednesday afternoon. The tampering window exists to give that process structure. What’s new this year is that players themselves, not just their agents, can now hear directly from the teams pursuing them.
