This All-Pro defensive end free agent could be a perfect fit for the Baltimore Ravens this offseason.
The Baltimore Ravens have a lot on their plate as the 2026 offseason approaches.
Their top priority is to keep their star center, Tyler Linderbaum, off the market and make him the highest-paid center in the league. In addition, the Ravens also have decisions to make on players like Isaiah Likely, Kyle Van Noy, and Dre'Mont Jones.
With two of their free agents being pass rushers, the Ravens could look elsewhere to find to fill that void. One direction they could look is at Cincinnati Bengals free agent and All-Pro pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson.
Around the NFL writer Nick Shook listed Hendrickson as a great fit for the Ravens.
"Baltimore’s defense depended on do-everything safety Kyle Hamilton to bail it out on multiple occasions in 2025, largely because the defensive front disappeared midway through the campaign. Seemingly overnight, the traditional strength of the Ravens went missing and there isn’t much reason to believe they’ll recover up front in 2026. Adding Hendrickson on an expensive but short-term deal would provide the Ravens with a proven edge rusher capable of harassing opposing quarterbacks and returning some strength to their front.
"Hendrickson would also fit into an established approach adopted by the Ravens over the last decade, one in which they entice veterans looking to chase a ring and manage to fit them into roles in which they make a difference (e.g., Kyle Van Noy in 2023 and 2024). It’s a short-term solution, but it’s a strong answer to one of Baltimore’s biggest lingering questions."
The Bengals are close to making a final decision on what they want to do with Hendrickson. He will enter free agency if he is not franchise tagged before the upcoming March 3 deadline.
It remains unclear what direction the Bengals will go. However, if the Bengals decide to let him become a free agent, they'll have some competition despite his drop in productivity in 2025.
After a career year in 2024, Hendrickson's 2025 season was far from ideal. The 31-year-old tallied four sacks, 16 combo tackles, three tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits and one forced fumble in only seven games.
His season ended due to a severe core muscle injury, which required surgery in December 2025. With the injury, age, and the Bengals' uncertainty on their transaction, Hendrickson’s future in Cincinnati is uncertain as the 2026 season slowly approaches.
Hendrickson has spent the last five seasons with one of the Ravens' biggest rivals.