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Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
The Baltimore Ravens tried and failed to engineer an effective pass rush in 2025 and finished 30th in the NFL in sacks, with defensive tackle Travis Jones leading the team with 5.0 sacks.
It’s not exactly what anyone would call a championship formula.
Now, after the Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons following a playoff-eliminating loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular season finale, it’s a new day in Baltimore.
Which means a new head coach — possibly 42-year-old Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator and former Ravens assistant Jesse Minter.
Which could mean the Ravens making a big splash for a defensive star in free agency, and Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks that could mean signing NFL All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson, who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024, is coming off a career-worst year in 2025 in which he missed 10 games due to injuries and only had 4.0 sacks after a nasty, prolonged contract battle with the Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason.
With such a down year, Hendrickson’s asking price of $30 million per year has gone down significantly, and Knox predicts the Ravens could land him on a 3-year, $75 million contract offer.
Getting to Face Bengals Twice … Added Bonus
It would have the added bonus of letting Hendrickson, 31 years old, stick it to his old team twice a year in the AFC North. He spent the last 2 years battling with the Bengals for a long-term extension and alternately asking to be traded. He finally signed a 1-year, $29 million contract on August 25 but was largely sidelined as the Bengals went 6-11 and missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
“Of course, a more reasonable contract makes Hendrickson much less of a risk than he might be on a market-level deal,” Knox wrote. “He’s still a four-time Pro Bowler who recorded 17.5 sacks in both 2023 and 2024. If healthy, he should provide double-digit sacks in 2026. Expect Hendrickson to land a contract high on incentives and with a team option on the back end. He’ll likely draw the most interest from teams that expect to contend over the next couple of seasons.”
Smart money says Hendrickson doesn’t get back to his previous levels of production, but should get pretty darn close. Which still makes him incredibly valuable.
Where Ravens Currently Sit at Edge Rusher
The Ravens tried to jumpstart their pass rush with a midseason trade with the Tennessee Titans for edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones, who had an impact but isn’t considered a long-term answer.
There is some promise with edge rusher and 2025 second round draft pick (No. 59 overall) Mike Green. He had all 3.5 of his sacks in an 8-game stretch in the middle of the season but didn’t have a sack in the final 3 games of the year, when the Ravens needed him most.
The real key to the pass rush might be in the middle of the defense, with defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who signed a 4-year, $98 million contract extension before the 2024 season but suffered what could be a career-ending neck injury just 2 games into the 2025 regular season.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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