Why Former Bengals Star Trey Hendrickson Joined Ravens: 'I'm in Win-Now Window'

It's all about the present for star defensive end Trey Hendrickson, which is what led the former Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher to sign with the Baltimore Ravens. "I'm in a win-now window," Hendrickson said at his Ravens' introductory press conference on Friday, according to NFL.com. "This opportunity to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, get into the win column and build something from the ground up is an amazing opportunity. A lot of things transpired. I've always been a 'control what you can control' type of guy and this is a great fit for me. I'm excited for this season." Hendrickson also said he's excited "to start something fresh" and that a change was "probably overdue." Baltimore signed Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal on Wednesday morning, mere hours after backing out of a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for star defensive end Maxx Crosby due to concerns about his left knee; Baltimore was set to send its 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to Las Vegas to attain the five-time Pro Bowler. Why was Hendrickson's departure from Cincinnati "overdue?" Hendrickson played the 2025 season on a revised salary after failing to reach a long-term deal with the Bengals in an offseason that saw the defensive end receive permission to seek a trade. Then, his 2025 campaign ended after seven games due to a hip injury, finishing the season with four sacks and one forced fumble. Hendrickson, a 2024 All-Pro, posted 17.5 sacks in both 2023 and 2024, leading the NFL in that category in the latter. Following a breakout, 13.5-sack season with the New Orleans Saints in 2020, Hendrickson signed a four-year deal with the Bengals, with whom he played for through 2025. From 2021-24, Hendrickson averaged 14.3 sacks and 2.8 forced fumbles per season, while earning a Pro Bowl nod each year. "When you're talking about the AFC North, there's history. It's a nasty brand of football. It's punch you in the mouth. To be on the other side of the ball and experience that, I'm so excited to be in the [Ravens'] building and experiencing it now. It's a phenomenal opportunity for me, [a] phenomenal opportunity for my family," Hendrickson said about joining the Ravens. "There's nothing but class here. State-of-the-art facilities. Great, talented players and an awesome coaching staff that's like-minded in winning and being a brand of football that we all, as a nucleus, will build, [with] this being Day One." Hendrickson joins a Ravens team that was tied for 28th in the NFL in sacks last season (30.0), while being 24th in opponent total yards (354.5 per game) and 18th in opponent points (23.4 per game). Meanwhile, Baltimore, which missed the playoffs last season at 8-9, has a new head coach in former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter — who was a defensive assistant under former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh from 2017-20. Former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator and Ravens defensive assistant Anthony Weaver is Baltimore's new defensive coordinator.