The Cincinnati Bengals rewarded pass rusher Trey Hendrickson this season with a one-year contract extension that will keep him in stripes through 2025. The deal adds $21 million over the next two years as Hendrickson was heading to free agency after 2024. The Bengals star EDGE has been a monster through six games of the NFL season. He’s currently ranked second in sacks with seven only behind Perennial All-Pro, T.J. Watt. Hendrickson plays with reckless abandon and has the unrelenting motor to match his varied pass-rush abilities. Even though Hendrickson flies under the radar in NFL circles, make no mistake, he deserves to be in the same conversation as Watt as an All-Pro thus far.
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Cincinnati Bengals Pass Rusher Is Playing at an All-Pro Level
Humble Beginnings
Hendrickson was drafted out of Florida Atlantic in the 3rd round (103 overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He’s an Orlando native and attended Apopka High in the Orange County Public School system. Following a stellar High School campaign, Hendrickson was even better while at FAU. He started as a true freshman and didn’t look back in never missing a game in his collegiate career, ending with 29.5 sacks. He took several years to develop in New Orleans and in 2019 he fully arrived with 13.5 sacks in his final year with the Saints. The Bengals bet big that his 2019 was just the beginning of even better days ahead. Hendrickson has proved them right as evidenced by 29 sacks in his two-plus seasons in Cincinnati.
Bash Brothers
Since arriving in Cincinnati, Hendrickson has been tied at the hip with his running mate on the other side, Sam Hubbard. The Bengals Bash Brothers have formed a formidable duo and helped win some of the biggest games in the franchise’s history. They both feed off each other and help the rest of the defense with their torrid play.
There goes that man.#SEAvsCIN | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/AIRXIWEO1u
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 15, 2023
Following the win over the Seattle Seahawks, Hubbard said, “I’m getting another sack. We were ready to go. No matter how much gas you think you have in the tank you’ve got enough to win the game. You always find that extra bit. That’s why we’ve got such a great D-line. Such a great defense. Nobody was going to tap out if we had to play three more series or whatever it was.” This extra level of effort is what fosters the greatness that Cincinnati’s defense has exemplified over the last two seasons.
Closing Time
The most important trait an EDGE rusher can have is the ability to close out games. This might be Hendrickson’s best quality when the outcome of winning or losing hangs in the balance. He’s a dominant force at the end of games and seems to get stronger in the 4th quarter. At 3-3, and on their bye week, the Bengals have treaded water long enough from the calf injury sustained by Joe Burrow. This is in large part due to the fantastic play of the defense, especially Hendrickson over this span. The Bengals can only hope their star rusher continues on his sack pace and flies under the radar no more.
Main Photo: Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer-USA TODAY NETWORK
