The Indianapolis Colts are preparing for a possibly pivotal season in 2025, as failing to succeed could drive the team into another rebuilding phase.
While the quarterback position remains their biggest uncertainty, the Colts are also working to enhance their pass rush after seeing a decline in quarterback pressures and finishing in the bottom third of the NFL with 36 total sacks in the 2024 season.
As a result, there’s been widespread speculation about the Colts potentially pursuing Cincinnati Bengals star Trey Hendrickson, who’s currently in a contract dispute with his team and has a trade request in place before training camp. Hendrickson has recorded 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons, leading the league in 2024.
To facilitate acquiring Hendrickson, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski has proposed a significant three-team trade that would bring Hendrickson to Indianapolis and send veteran defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, a Pro Bowler, to another team.
In this scenario, the Colts would gain Hendrickson, while the Atlanta Falcons would trade tight end Kyle Pitts to the Bengals in return for acquiring Buckner’s veteran experience in 2025.
Sobleski noted that “Trey Hendrickson can join last year’s first-round pick, Laiatu Latu, while this year’s second-round pick, JT Tuimoloau, can serve as the team’s long-term rotational player. DeForest Buckner is still an excellent interior defender, but he’s dealt with injuries over the past couple of seasons, and his interior pass-rush productivity dropped last year.”
He continued, “Besides, Anarumo’s defense during his time with the Bengals focused on its defensive ends. Moreover, offloading Buckner would provide the Colts with financial leeway to sign Hendrickson to a lucrative contract.”
Hendrickson would provide a powerful presence for the Colts.
There’s no doubt that trading Buckner to acquire Hendrickson — a four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher — would be a decisive move to bolster their defensive line.
According to Pro Football Focus, Hendrickson had the fifth-highest pass-rush grade (90.2) among all pass rushers in the 2024 season, accumulating 83 pressures and 16 quarterback hits, alongside leading the league in sacks. At 30, he has largely avoided any physical decline, having missed just three games in the past four seasons — none since 2022 — while part of the Bengals defense.
The major obstacle in trading for Hendrickson is his desired contract. He is under a one-year, $21 million contract for 2025, which would reflect just $16 million for any acquiring team, but his situation with the Bengals revolves around his wish to earn top edge-rusher salary.
Currently, seven NFL pass rushers earn at least $28 million annually on their contracts, with four making at least $30 million per year. Myles Garrett’s four-year, $160 million contract is at the top heading into 2025.
At present, the Colts would face challenges accommodating Hendrickson’s expected salary demands with about $20.1 million available in cap space. However, according to Over the Cap, they could free up $23 million by trading Buckner, which would allow them enough flexibility to pay Hendrickson in the $30 million-per-year range.
Would Trading DeForest Buckner Be Detrimental?
Sobleski’s hypothetical trade proposal has some validity, particularly from the standpoint that the Colts need to clear substantial cap space to realistically add Hendrickson. But would the Colts’ defense fare better without Buckner?
Buckner missed a career-high five games due to injuries in 2024 and posted his third-lowest sack total (6.5) in his nine-year career. Still, the idea that Buckner is declining is misleading. He remained productive on the defensive line, recording 36 pressures and ranking 10th in defensive stops (20) among defensive tackles.
He is also a captain and leader of the Colts defense. Even though Hendrickson could boost their edge-rushing potential, losing Buckner — or sidelining him — could be detrimental to their defensive front.
The reality is the Colts lack strong depth behind Buckner and fellow veteran Grover Stewart. Adetomiwa Adebawore and Neville Gallimore are solid rotational options, but stepping in as day-one starters in place of Buckner seems unjustifiable unless absolutely necessary.
For now, the Colts are more inclined to retain Buckner and rely on their existing edge rushers for the 2025 season. Kwity Paye and veteran Samson Ebukam — who missed 2024 with an injury — will also return to bolster the lineup alongside Latu and second-round rookie Tuimoloau.
