The Washington Commanders shocked everyone in the 2024 season, going from holding the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL draft to reaching the NFC championship game, where they ultimately fell to the Super Bowl 59 champion Philadelphia Eagles. With 12 wins and the emergence of Jayden Daniels as a true franchise quarterback, the year marked a dramatic turnaround for the franchise.
Heading into next season, their ambitions are only growing bigger. A pivotal offseason saw the front office work to fix most of the roster’s holes, particularly on the defensive end. However, one analyst believes Washington can still take a gargantuan step by making the most ambitious trade in recent history.
Commanders Predicted To Pull Off Blockbuster Trade For Disgruntled Bengals Star
While Washington’s offense was roaring last season, its defense was a shade below average, finishing 17th on PFSN’s Defense+ metric. However, their offseason was spent improving that side of the football by adding Javon Kinlaw, Deatrich Wise Jr., Jonathan Jones, and Will Harris in free agency, before doubling down in the draft with Trey Amos and Kain Medrano.
But even with all that incoming talent, the edge remains relatively weak. Losing Dante Fowler Jr. was a significant blow to the unit, with Wise, Dorance Armstrong, and Clelin Ferrell serving as the only real depth at the position.
With a clear need in pass rush, NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadiha believes the Commanders should make an offer to the Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson, who’s been involved in tense contract negotiations with the team for several months now and is widely expected to be shipped.
“This situation seems to be worsening by the day, which is a great reason why the Bengals should move Hendrickson before the season,” Chadiha wrote. “He clearly could supply tremendous value to another team — since he led the league with 17.5 sacks last year — and Cincinnati needs to change a downward trajectory after missing the last two postseasons.
“Washington is a contender that could desperately use pass-rush help and has the cap space to make this move happen with QB Jayden Daniels on a rookie deal. It’s also apparent Cincy isn’t willing to pay Hendrickson what he wants in a hyper-inflated edge rusher market. The Bengals thought they could appease him, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins with new deals when the offseason began. Two out of three ain’t bad.”
In four years with the Bengals, Hendrickson has played in 65 games, recording 155 total tackles, 103 solo tackles, 52 tackles for loss, 57 sacks, and 11 forced fumbles. He’s been one of the NFL’s most efficient edge rushers during that span, consistently disrupting opposing quarterbacks and anchoring the Bengals’ pass rush.
ESPN’s @SethWalder proposes a hypothetical trade for the #Commanders to acquire EDGE Trey Hendrickson
Thoughts? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/nrQH8LmDb1
— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) June 4, 2025
However, the issue for Hendrickson isn’t his production but his age (30 at the moment). Defying traditional patterns, the pass rusher has hit his stride at an age when players typically decline, and it’s likely the reason the Bengals are unwilling to pay him what the market demands.
But for a Commanders team in “win-now” mode, Hendrickson could be the perfect recipe for their defense to become a Super Bowl-caliber unit. He was named a first-team All-Pro and finished as the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, and would have enough juice left in his tank for a couple of good seasons with the Commanders.