Cincinnati Bengals star defensive end Trey Hendrickson is officially hitting the open market.
The franchise deadline came and went on Tuesday, and Hendrickson did not receive a tag, despite being in the final year of his contract. That means the former First-Team All-Pro defender will be a free agent next week. The New England Patriots should be one of many teams interested in signing the star defensive player.
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Hendrickson only appeared in seven games for the Bengals last year. His season was cut short due to a hip injury, which required him to undergo surgery. All told, he tallied 16 total tackles and four sacks in addition to a pass deflection last season.
Before last year, Hendrickson was coming off consecutive 17.5-sack seasons. The four-time Pro Bowler posted a thank you message after the franchise deadline to say goodbye to the city of Cincinnati.
Hendrickson built a reputation as one of the most feared pass-rushers in the NFL with 81 sacks and 239 combined tackles in 117 games.
The Patriots could use a No. 1 edge rusher, and Hendrickson could fill that need at an elite level, depending on how much gas he still has in the tank at 31 years old. His addition to Mike Vrabel’s defense could make an already elite unit even scarier.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Path clear for Patriots to attempt to sign First-Team All-Pro defender
