ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter delivered some good news for Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans in a recent appearance on Pardon My Take, saying that free agent pass rusher Trey Hendrickson would "love to be in Tampa" this offseason.
Trey Hendrickson is widely considered the best free agent pass rusher available on the market, something that fills a massive need the Bucs have. Injuries derailed his 2025 season and limited him to only seven games. Still, he managed to record four sacks and Pro Football Focus ranked him 13th at the position out of 115 players along with the sixth-best pass-rush grade.
Prior to 2025, Hendrickson had posted a whopping 17.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have spent years searching for a game changing pass rusher, to no avail. They spent a first-round draft pick on Joe Tryon-Shoyinka back in 2021, a second-round draft pick on Chris Braswell in 2024, and signed Haason Reddick to a $14 million deal last offseason, but none of those moves panned out.
The Bucs haven't had a player reach double digit sacks since Shaq Barrett did it in 2021, and the inability to generate pressure with four has been the defense's Achillies heel in recent years.
The Buccaneers need no introduction to Hendrickson. When he was still a member of the New Orleans Saints in 2020, he sacked Tom Brady three times in two games and wreaked havoc on the Bucs' offense.
Hendrickson would be the perfect solution to Tampa Bay's pass rush woes and is by far the best addition they can make to the roster in free agency.
Trey Hendrickson wants to sign with the Buccaneers in free agency
“I think that he would love to be in Tampa,” Schefter said. “I think he would love to be in Tampa. He lives in Ponte Verde. I don’t think the 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. 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.”
This presents as speculation coming from Schefter rather than a fact, but when the NFL's most plugged-in insider makes a statement like this, you listen. If Hendrickson really is interested in signing with Tampa Bay, it would be organizational malpractice to not get him in the building.
PFF's Josh Queipo projects that Hendrickson will sign a one-year, $21 million contract in free agency. That's a hefty price, especially if the Buccaneers want to bring back Mike Evans as well. Tampa Bay is operating with a $50 million budget this offseason, and signing both Hendrickson and Evans would use just about all of that spending power -- but it would be well worth it.
The biggest bonus of signing the 31-year-old is that he'll come at a cheaper price tag than Maxx Crosby, who is earning $30 million per season, and it wouldn't cost the Bucs a major trade package to acquire him. Tampa Bay needs to take a swing on the Florida native and play into his desire to come home and play for the Bucs -- it'll immediately upgrade their pass rush and perhaps they'll even get a hometown discount in the process.