The Cincinnati Bengals have had one of the NFL's worst defenses in recent years, but they've also had one of the best pass-rushers. That might change this offseason, as Trey Hendrickson is scheduled to hit free agency.

ESPN's Adam Schefter mentioned on Wednesday that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be a good fit for the 31-year-old, via the "Pardon My Take" show.

“I think that he would love to be in Tampa,” he said. “I think he would love to be in Tampa. He lives in Ponte Verde. I don’t think the [Jacksonville] Jaguars have the requisite cap room for him."

“Tampa would be a great fit. I think in a perfect world, Trey would like to stay in Florida," he continued. "No state income tax. But, he’s also open to going to the best possible situation."

“If Trey has a pick, I think he’d like to end up (with the Bucs) but we will see if it works out that way," he concluded.

Hendrickson would add juice to a Tampa Bay defense that finished 20th with 24.2 points allowed per game, but he might not be interested unless the team offers a long-term deal. The four-time Pro Bowler lobbied for a contract extension in Cincinnati, but he never got one despite totaling 60 sacks over 72 regular-season games with the team.

Hendrickson is coming off an injury-shortened season, as he played just seven contests in 2025 due to a hip/pelvis ailment. Between that and his age, this offseason might be the Florida native's last chance to sign the long-term deal he wants.

Hendrickson has a two-year, $50.8 million ($25.4 million AAV) market value, per Spotrac. The former first-team All-Pro might want more years on the next deal he signs, but he also might have to prove that he can get back to his 2024 form, when he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks.

The Bengals could have franchise tagged Hendrickson this offseason, but they chose to let him hit the open market. A franchise tag would've automatically kept the star under contract for another season. 

Getting Hendrickson off the books frees up cap space that they can use to build the rest of the defense, as they paid him $29 million last season after giving him a $14 million raise. Plus, the team owns the No. 10 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, which has blue-chip defensive prospects like Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. Regardless, Cincinnati must revamp a unit that finished 30th in scoring defense in 2025.

NFL free agency officially starts on Wednesday.