Do the Indianapolis Colts stop dancing around the addition of one of the top defenders in the NFL?
The Indianapolis Colts will be on a mission to revamp their defense during the 2026 offseason.
General manager Chris Ballard reflected at the end of last season that the defensive side of the ball needs to get younger and faster. He also admitted that the Colts' pass rush, which ranked 15th in the NFL with 39 sacks, wasn't good enough.
"We've got to find a way to continue to address – whether it's through the draft, free agency, however we end up doing it, in house – we've got to address the front and make sure we have enough," Ballard said during his end-of-season press conference.
One pass rusher that the Colts were tied to throughout last offseason, but never landed, was Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson. After a tumultuous final year dealing with Cincinnati management, Hendrickson agreed to a re-worked one-year deal in late August, worth $29 million.
If the Colts had traded for Hendrickson last year, they would've assumed what was left of his contract, rather than this March, when they could sign him to a new one of their own.
The veteran is poised to be on the open market this offseason, and ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen thinks that Hendrickson finally finds his way to Indianapolis.
"Trey Hendrickson will sign with the Colts," Bowen declared recently for his bold NFL offseason prediction. "General Manager Chris Ballard makes a splash move to sign the top free agent on the market. Hendrickson, who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024, would immediately upgrade the Indianapolis pass rush."
Hendrickson would immediately add legitimacy to a Colts' pass rush that desperately needs it, having earned First-Team All-Pro in 2024 when he led the NFL in sacks (17.5), along with four Pro Bowls. However, he would have to be the exception to Ballard's "younger and faster" comment.
Hendrickson, who turned 31 in December, is coming off a disappointing season, marred by injury. He played his final snaps of the season on Oct. 26 and underwent season-ending core-muscle surgery in December.
According to Spotrac.com, Hendrickson's current market value is $25.4 million per year, which is an improvement from the previous $30 million-plus previously reported last offseason, given Hendrickson's age and recent injury history.
If Hendrickson is healthy, or is projected to be by the time the season begins, the Colts may still be enticed to make the move. Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was Hendrickson's DC for four years (2021-24) in Cincinnati before coming to Indy, so the familiarity is there, as well as the need.
The Colts have to be more effective on the defensive line, from the starters to their depth. Laiatu Latu led them with 8.5 sacks last year, but players who accounted for 16.0 of the team's sacks are set to hit free agency.
Ballard will likely be swayed to throw numerous resources at the defensive line, and Hendrickson could still be part of that for the right price.
Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.