Packers Named 'Perfect Landing Spot' for 4-Time Pro Bowl Pass Rusher

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Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.

Another NFL analyst has connected the dots between the Green Bay Packers and one of the top available pass rushers on the NFL trade market for 2025.

The Packers’ defensive line is looking sturdier following the 2025 NFL draft last month. While they did not invest in more interior defensive linemen, they added defensive end Barryl Sorrell in the fourth round to fortify their rotation coming off the edge for 2025.

Still, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the onset of the offseason that he feels “it’s time we started competing for championships,” underscoring the sense of urgency within the organization to add premium talent and contend for a Super Bowl.

On one hand, Gutekunst might feel hopeful about what the Packers’ edge rushers can accomplish in 2025 with Rashan Gary, Kingsley Enagbare and 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness poised to lead a rotation. On the other hand, though, he may decide their chances are better if they can acquire an elite pass-rushing talent for their roster.

And should the Packers decide they want that, ESPN’s Matt Bowen believes they would be the “perfect landing spot” for four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson.

“Hendrickson is a relentless defender off the edge, with a deep toolbox of counters and a knack for making plays late in the down,” Bowen wrote Monday. “His 17.5 sacks and 65 pressures were league highs in 2024. This would be a big-time get for the Packers’ defense, which tied for the eighth-most sacks last season (45).”

Would Packers Break Pattern for Trey Hendrickson?

There is little doubt Hendrickson would improve the edge-rushing capabilities of Jeff Hafley’s offense in Green Bay. While he is already 30 years old, he has been one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL in the four years since he joined the Bengals, recording 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons — which led the league in 2024.

The questions about Hendrickson’s fit with the Packers are twofold, though: Would the Packers break from their traditional reluctance to trade for veteran players? And if they did, would they also do so for a player like Hendrickson, who wants a pricey new deal?

The first one is easier to overcome, even though some Packers fans will balk at the idea. The Packers have not made a high-profile trade to acquire a veteran player in the eight offseasons since Gutekunst took over as GM, but they have explored trades for veterans, including running back Jonathan Taylor in 2023 and wide receiver D.J. Moore in 2022.

If the price is right for Hendrickson, the Packers could finally get something done if they believe that he is a veteran talent who could push them over the edge in 2025.

The bigger problem is the money. The Packers have roughly $28.9 million in remaining cap space for the 2025 season and the flexibility to add another expensive contract to their books in the next few seasons, but they would need to feel confident enough in Hendrickson to not only trade a pick for him but also quickly sign him to a new deal.

Given all we know about Gutekunst, it is difficult to imagine him making that trade.

Packers May Feel Comfortable With Current Edge Rushers

Analysts such as Bowen and Bleacher Report’s Mo Moton might feel that Hendrickson is an ideal trade target for the Packers heading into the 2025 season, but it is just as plausible — if not more plausible — that they feel good about their current personnel.

Traditionally, the Packers are a franchise that prefers to build through the draft. Doing so requires patience with their drafted players, even with first-round selections, but it is a process that has paid off for them in the past. Gary is a perfect example, as he played limited snaps behind Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith in his first two seasons before becoming a full-time starter in 2022 and breaking out with 9.5 sacks and 28 QB hits.

In 2025, the Packers are in a similar wait-and-see mode with Van Ness. The 2023 first-round selection has just seven sacks in 34 games over his first two seasons, but he has played fewer than 40% of defensive snaps in each season and has yet to make his first career NFL start. While the Packers will need to see signs of growth in the build-up to the regular season, he should finally get his chance to shine if he plays his cards right.

If Van Ness does not look ready to take the next step in training camp, then that might be when the Packers start exploring their outside options. Even then, though, they may want to see if Enagbare can get back on track after regressing in 2024. Or instead, they could put Sorrell to the test and give him a chance to earn a Day 1 role for their defense.

Either way, the Packers are a long way from becoming an obvious fit for Hendrickson.

Jordan J. Wilson is a sports reporter who covers the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. He has previously covered all levels of sports — high school, college and pro — for a variety of publications including The Indianapolis Star, The News-Gazette, Springfield State-Journal Register and Peoria Journal Star. More about Jordan J. Wilson