The Baltimore Ravens made pass rush their biggest priority heading into the offseason and went after it hard. General manager Eric DeCosta nearly pulled off a blockbuster before free agency even opened, agreeing to send two first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for Maxx Crosby.
The deal fell apart after medical evaluations. Baltimore regrouped fast and landed Trey Hendrickson on a four-year, $112 million contract instead. The Ravens are betting on the version of Hendrickson that dominated AFC North opponents for years and new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter made it clear why that bet makes sense.
Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, now with the Baltimore RavensSam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Speaking at the Annual League Meeting on Sunday, Minter sat down with NFL Network’s Steve Wyche and broke down exactly what Hendrickson brings to Baltimore’s defense.
“Trey is a closer. I mean he’s a guy that has the second-most sacks in the fourth quarter of games since 2021,” Minter said. “That’s an area where we want to improve and want to finish out games when we have the lead. We’ve had more leads in the fourth quarter than any team in the last five years. So getting a guy like that will help our pass rush help the defensive backs rushing coverage work together.
“When you add a primary premium pass rusher it makes everybody else’s job on the defense easier at times. He’s gonna draw a lot of attention. I think our pass rush in general is gonna be a lot better because other people may have more one-on-one opportunities.”
Baltimore Ravens defensive end Trey Hendrickson.Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
(Katie Stratman-Imagn Images)
Hendrickson arrives with a track record that speaks for itself. In five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, he racked up 61 sacks, 56 tackles for loss, 120 quarterback hits and 12 forced fumbles. He earned four consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2021-24
The 2025 season was the exception. A hip injury limited him to just seven games before he landed on injured reserve cutting short what was shaping up to be another strong year.
Durability is the one question mark that follows Hendrickson into Baltimore but if he stays healthy the fit looks strong. The Ravens will need him to be exactly what Minter described because the offense took some real hits this offseason.
Center Tyler Linderbaum, who earned three Pro Bowl nods, signed a three-year deal with the Raiders. Tight end Isaiah Likely followed former head coach John Harbaugh to the New York Giants. Baltimore has gaps to fill and a roster still taking shape.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.