Kendall, who covers a team that would seem to be very motivated to acquire Hendrickson in the Falcons, would be a good candidate to be sniffing around this information. Hendrickson has floated in quasi-limbo with his contract this offseason as the Bengals don’t appear to be willing to meet his demands. The asking price of a first-round pick seems unrealistic for a player entering his age-31 season, even one as good as Hendrickson was last year. The combination of those two things means we could be in for an extended impasse.

Hendrickson said the Bengals told him a deal would get done this offseason. He also noted that he began asking for a long-term deal with guaranteed money three years ago. Earlier this week, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said the team is still working on a potential extension, though Hendrickson didn’t make it sound like a deal was imminent when talking to McAfee. The Bengals have prioritized bringing their offensive players back in thus far. Ja’Marr Chase was made the highest-paid non-quarterback this offseason while Tee Higgins got a healthy contract extension as well. Hendrickson is currently the odd man out and could be headed for free agency next offseason.

This aligns with previous reports from earlier in the month that said the Bengals were still hoping to get a new deal done for Hendrickson, who is in the final year of his contract. The Bengals recently gave record-setting deals to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, which could make a new deal for Hendrickson difficult, but for now, both sides are attempting to get something done. Hendrickson is one of the premiere pass rushers in the league and has totaled 35 sacks over the last two seasons. If he and the Bengals can’t agree to a new deal, several teams will be lining up to trade for and extend the 30-year-old star.

Hendrickson is, per Rapoport, seeking a contract of at least $30 million a season. The Bengals have been hesitant to let Hendrickson “leave the building” as they are working to keep him, knowing that he won’t play on the final year of his current deal. It certainly makes sense that the Colts would be seeking Hendrickson after they let Dayo Odeyingbo head to the Bears in free agency, but the Bengals appear more interested in getting a deal done with Hendrickson than with the Colts.