Bengals' 'perfect free agent' might be future Hall of Famer

The Cincinnati Bengals are set to lose one veteran edge rusher to free agency, as Trey Hendrickson effectively said goodbye to Cincinnati Tuesday after the team chose not to use the franchise tag on him, allowing him to hit the open market next week.

Could they bring in another veteran edge rusher in his place? Bleacher Report seems to think so. In their recent list of "Perfect Free Agent Signings for Each Team", the Bengals land veteran pass-rusher Khalil Mack:

"The Bengals could lose both Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai in free agency. Hendrickson could be the top free agent on a lot of boards and Ossai is in his prime so he'll be looking for a lengthy extension.

Cincinnati is somewhat prepared for the losses. With Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy on the roster, they have young players ready to take on larger roles. Khalil Mack would be the ideal mentor to target for them. He's 35, but he was still an excellent edge-setter with a 14.8 pressure rate last season."

Mack just turned 35 in February. He is four years older than Hendrickson. The thought makes sense, as the Bengals will need to fill their depth on the edge, especially if Joseph Ossai also leaves. But Mack is in a spot now where he'll likely sign with a contender. He signed a one-year, $18 million deal last season with the Los Angeles Chargers, a team many thought would contend in the AFC West and potentially make a run in the playoffs before losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Wild Card.

The Bengals are hoping to get back into contention this season, but it's fair to think there is still plenty of work to do for a team that only won six games in 2025. Would a player like Mack, who has never played in a Super Bowl, want to take that risk over signing with a team that has a better chance of making a run?

Mack would be a very interesting signing, to say the least, even with the Bengals expected to be very active in free agency.

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals free agency: 'Perfect' target might be Chargers' Khalil Mack