The Green Bay Packers still need an edge-rusher. And maybe ‘need’ is a tiny bit too strong, but on another hand, no it’s not.

They need an edge rusher – Rashan Gary is plenty talented and productive, but we all got a good look at what a defense with him leading the pass-rushing efforts looked like last season.

There’s a reason that the Packers were attached to every big-name potential pass-rushing target from Thanksgiving onwards.

And even though the Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett sagas ended before they could ever truly realize greatness, the Packers’ quest for a star pass-rusher is currently being kept on life support by their wonderful friends in Cincinnati.

The Bengals just can’t seem to get out of their own way in the Trey Hendrickson contract standoff, which is wonderful news for literally everyone outside the state of Ohio.

ESPN knows a blockbuster, bombshell trade when they see one, which helps explain their latest idea: sending Hendrickson to Green Bay.

They think it makes a ton of sense, and quite frankly, I’m inclined to agree. Who am I to argue with the worldwide leader in sports?

ESPN thinks the Packers make sense for Trey Hendrickson and, you know, let’s just hear them out

“After being granted permission to seek a trade in March, Hendrickson is refusing to play with the Bengals until he receives a new contract,” writes ESPN’s Matt Bowen. “If no deal comes together, Green Bay would be the perfect landing spot for him, as he’d pair well with Rashan Gary in Jeff Hafley’s defensive system. Lukas Van Ness, a 2023 first-rounder, is still developing at this stage, so there is a path for Green Bay to add more to its defensive line.”

I sincerely love that ESPN felt the need to justify that it’d be okay to trade for Hendrickson even with Lukas Van Ness on the roster.

We know, ESPN. Everything about this makes sense, because a Hendrickson trade has made all the sense in the world since the moment it became even 10% likely.

It’s felt like the Packers have been One Big Move away from being the true contenders they want to think they are for, like, three years straight.

This would be said move; I don’t see Ben Johnson pulling off big trades like this. No, Jonah Jackson doesn’t count. Besides – now that ESPN has signed off on the idea, all sides can get together and hammer out a deal. I assume that’s how it works.