The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the hunt to fix their defensive front. They have T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Cam Heyward and younger pieces in Nick Herbig and Keeanu Benton to build around, but the goal is to bring the defense back to where they want it – elite and the biggest contributor to their success.

The Steelers have always won because of their defensive front. They get great pass rushers, dominant run stuffers in the middle and don’t allow an offense to ever be comfortable. That opens the door for their secondary to come up with plays and their offense to simply go out and win.

Well, this offseason, they need to fix that, because it’s been troublesome the last few years.

One name that has become a clear option for anyone willing to make a trade is Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson. An inner-AFC North deal? Very rare. But in a circumstance where Cincinnati has other holes to fill, and Pittsburgh may be willing to make some splash, it could be on the table.

Hendrick said on the Pat McAfee Show that he clearly wants a contract extension and to figure out a new deal before the 2025 season. He’s set to make $18.6 million this upcoming season, but will not have a deal in place afterward.

“If it’s something we can agree on in terms, that would be great. Ideally, my wife and I would love to stay in Cincinnati,” Hendrickson said. “If it’s something that helps the Bengals win the Super Bowl, if they get picks or anything like that, I want to help win a Super Bowl for Cincinnati, whether I’m there or not.”

The Steelers are in a situation where it doesn’t make sense to trade for Hendrickson, unless they are open to moving on from Larry Ogunjobi. The 31-year-old is set to hold a $10.5 million cap hit in 2025, which is the last year of his deal.

If Pittsburgh either use Ogunjobi in the trade package, or release him before his roster bonus, they save roughly $7 million. They also move on from outside linebacker Preston Smith this offseason, and they save $13 million on top of that.

Is adding Hendrickson the easiest situation for Pittsburgh? No, probably not. It is a splash that leaves them with two Defensive Player of the Year finalists along the defensive line, though. Something they are open to this offseason.

If the Steelers can add Hendrickson for a second or third-round draft pick, and get three years out of him, that’s a victory. He’ll cost roughly $22 million per season, according to Spotrac, after 2025.

It comes down to how much the Steelers are willing to spend and the direction they want to go. This team also thinks Super Bowl, and Hendrickson is a Super Bowl-caliber defender. If they believe adding another superstar is a better move than looking at the NFL Draft, Hendrickson is the move. And even if it’s an in-division trade, they should be able to juice up a package well enough to make it happen without giving up too much.

So, unless Hendrickson and the Bengals sign a deal, keep Hendrickson in the realm of possibilities for the Steelers.