The Green Bay Packers were good but not good enough in 2024. A year that was marred by injuries to Jordan Love and other key members of the defense led Green Bay to an 11-6 record that was good enough to make the playoffs just to get bounced by the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round.
There’s no shame in getting bounced by the eventual Super Bowl champions, but it creates urgency for 2025. With Love entering the final year before his new contract explodes, the Packers need to utilize the cap space they have to put players around him.
Green Bay received good news in that regard when the NFL told teams that this year’s salary cap would go up higher than anticipated on Wednesday afternoon. The increase – which is reported to be around $22.1 million to $26.1 million – gives the Packers $49.1 million in cap space according to Over The Cap and makes for an obvious trade target as they head into the offseason.
Trey Hendrickson is the Perfect Packers Trade Target After NFL Salary Cap Surge
There are several directions the Packers could go with their new money. Josh Jacobs suggested it should go toward finding a No. 1 receiver but fans have fantasized over dream deals that would bring Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby to Green Bay. But it would take a king’s ransom to acquire Garrett or Crosby, and a No. 1 receiver could be found in the draft. In the end, there could be a more realistic target in Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson was a third-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2017 NFL Draft but exploded after signing with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021. In addition to making four straight Pro Bowls and leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks and 83 quarterback pressures during his All-Pro season in 2024, he also is third with 70.5 sacks, dating back to his final season in New Orleans in 2020.
Only T.J. Watt (73.5) and Garrett (72.0) had more sacks over the past five years, and no player has more than 60 sacks, with San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa the next closest at 53.5 sacks.
The Athletic’s Matthew Schneidman also noted that the Packers pass rush needs help and it could be their biggest priority this offseason.
“The Packers ranked 13th in pressure percentage and 10th in sack percentage according to TruMedia, but the eye test reveals the pass rush was inconsistent,” Schneidman wrote. “Green Bay could use a disruptive pass rusher on the edge or interior, but Gutenkunst is more likely to find one on the edge and may be enticed to go all in for the likes of Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, Trey Hendrickson or Josh Sweat this offseason. If he truly wants to contend for a championship like he said, that may be the most sensible way to do so.”
That record of production makes it clear that teams will covet Hendrickson, but he’s the one edge rusher outside of Sweat, who is a free agent and could command $18.8 million per season per Spotrac, whose team will actually make him available.
The Bengals have already made a push to clear their resources in order to keep an offensive core of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins together, and it’s already resulted in one key defender requesting a trade this offseason.
Hendrickson’s $18.6 million cap hit in the final year of his contract is manageable for the Packers, who would have $33.9 million in cap space available after trading for Hendrickson according to Over The Cap’s calculator.
The Packers may have to part with some draft capital and perhaps an extension that gives Hendrickson one final payday as he turned 30 last December. But it could be the final move that makes Green Bay a championship contender.