The Cincinnati Bengals have enjoyed star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson's services for the past five seasons, but he'll now lace his cleats for the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. The 31-year-old signed a four-year, $112 million deal with the latter team and was introduced to the Baltimore media on Friday.

Hendrickson offered kind words about Bengals franchise quarterback Joe Burrow, who he'll now face twice a year. However, the 2024 NFL sacks leader made it clear that winning is his top priority no matter who he's playing, via Sports Illustrated's Russell Heltman.

"Joe is one of the best in the National Football League. I like to affect games. It's continuing to play the same brand of football," he said about sacking Burrow. "It's the standard that I've carried since Day One. It doesn't matter who we're playing. The wins are important." 

On paper, facing Hendrickson twice a year is daunting for a quarterback who's taken as many hits as Burrow. The 29-year-old has gotten sacked 213 times over 77 regular-season games and 29 times over seven playoff contests since getting drafted first overall in 2020. For context, former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck retired due to injuries after taking 174 sacks across 86 regular-season outings and 11 over eight postseason matchups. Meanwhile, Hendrickson has 81 sacks over 117 career regular-season games. Cincinnati will face him, Cleveland Browns star edge-rusher Myles Garrett, and Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt twice a year for the foreseeable future as it tries to keep Burrow healthy.

Cincinnati could have given Hendrickson an extension sometime over the last two years or even franchise tagged him this offseason, but it did neither. Instead, it let the veteran walk in free agency, and he chose Baltimore.

The Ravens picked up Hendrickson after their deal with the Las Vegas Raiders for fellow star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby fell through. The Bengals have signed safety Bryan Cook and edge rusher Boye Mafe, but they still have work to do after finishing 30th in scoring defense last season.

On one hand, it makes sense to clear Hendrickson's salary off the books and use that money to plug multiple holes. On the other hand, it would have been better value to trade him for draft capital after either signing him to an extension or franchise tagging him. As it stands now, Cincinnati is only slated to receive a third-round compensatory pick in 2027, per Over the Cap's Nick Korte.

If Hendrickson sacks and/or hits Burrow several times over the next few years, that pick might feel meaningless unless it turns into an upper-echelon player.