The Green Bay Packers did something they haven’t done in years in 2024: They solidified their defense. After defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley arrived, the Pack’s defense jumped into the Top 10 defenses in the NFL.
They ranked sixth in total defense (314.5 YPG), fourth in takeaways (31), and tied for eighth in sacks (45).
Now, they’re looking to get even better and could have a chance at acquiring one of the best pass rushers in football.
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Which Pass Rusher Are the Green Bay Packers After?
PFSN’s Cameron Sheath believes that the Packers could make a play for Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
On the surface, this is a no-brainer. If you can add Hendrickson to the mix with Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness into your pass rush rotation, go for it. However, the biggest question has to be, what would he cost?
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Bengals have discussed trades with teams for weeks. The asking price is “a young defensive player and a 2026 first-round pick.”
The Bengals have been actively engaged in trade discussions surrounding Trey Hendrickson for weeks, sources tell me and @pauldehnerjr.
According to teams that have reached out, Cincinnati isn’t only seeking draft capital in return; they’re also targeting defensive players in a… pic.twitter.com/rT3WRQolTY
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 17, 2025
Green Bay would likely need to trade Gary or Van Ness in a package to acquire Hendrickson. The Packers own all of their picks in the 2026 draft, so those are available. Considering that the Packers are expected to be a contender, they would probably land fairly low in the draft order.
The Bengals allowed Hendrickson to seek a trade back in March, but nothing much happened. Instead, the Bengals entered into widely reported and highly publicized contract negotiations that resulted in animosity on the part of Hendrickson.
Fan response has fallen squarely on his side, so when Hendrickson left camp at one point and vacationed in Florida, it didn’t move the needle at all in the court of public opinion.
However, Hendrickson is in the final year of his contract with the Bengals, so he reported to camp to avoid paying a $50k per day fine and re-engaged with the Bengals’ front office.
RELATED: ‘Unserious Franchise’ — NFL Fans Slam Bengals’ Major Decision on Trey Hendrickson’s Future Amid Contract Drama
The original sticking point was Hendrickson’s refusal to sign a short-term deal. He’s 30 years old, so the Bengals hesitated about a long-term commitment despite being okay with giving him $30 million-plus per year in the short term.
Now, the Bengals are reportedly on board with Hendrickson’s salary demands and the length of the contract, but not with the amount he wants guaranteed.
For the Bengals, it may boil down to finding the money needed to put into escrow to guarantee Hendrickson’s contract or finding a trade partner who can give them something of approximate equal value.