Trey Hendrickson departed the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2026 NFL offseason to join their AFC North rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. He has consistently performed among the top edge rushers in the league, but a personnel evaluator recently raised some red flags about his outlook going forward.
Trey Hendrickson Gets Troubling Outlook After Joining Ravens in 2026
Hendrickson and the Bengals had a rocky ending to their five-year partnership, with the edge rusher becoming frustrated at them never signing him to the long-term contract extension he was seeking. This eventually led to his signing with the Ravens in free agency, where he inked a four-year, $112 million contract.
This puts him among the highest-paid players at his position, a distinction he earned by recording at least 13.5 sacks in four of his past six seasons.
Despite his proven success getting after opposing quarterbacks, he was left out of the 10 best edge rushers in 2026, according to a survey conducted by ESPN of team personnel and staff. An evaluator explained why Hendrickson’s outlook in Baltimore could be questionable.
“He’s been a great performer, but doesn’t have the dominant traits as some of the others. So when age and injuries pile up, it’s harder for him to stay toward the top,” said the evaluator.
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Hendrickson was held to just seven games last season with the Bengals and has started every game in a season just twice in his nine years in the NFL, including his time with the New Orleans Saints. This outlines the injury concerns mentioned, and, considering he will turn 32 this year, a decline in his production is a realistic projection.
The Ravens are obviously hoping this isn’t the case after signing him to a massive deal, and they are likely banking on his elite performances before last season.
He ranked second and sixth in PFN’s EDGE Impact Rankings in the two years prior to 2025, when he played in just seven games. His elite rankings in those two seasons both included him playing in all 17 games.
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For what it’s worth, while he was outside of the top 10 edge rushers, he was listed as one of the three honorable mentions, along with Jared Verse and Josh Hines-Allen.
Unlike the other two, Hendrickson has previously led the entire NFL in sacks for a single season, and he did so just two years ago. The Ravens are betting on getting that version of their new defender.
