Ravens' Trey Hendrickson Thrilled to Still Compete in AFC North

Trey Hendrickson requires no introduction to fans of the Baltimore Ravens. When they wax poetic about the AFC North, a division that's known for intense trench duels and low-scoring scrape outs, they're talking about players like the star defensive end, and he's thrilled to continue adding to the group's legacy at a new home.

He's spent the last five years as a staple on the Cincinnati Bengals, where he notched a quartet of Pro Bowl appearances before last year's injury-plagued season saw 10 missed games out of the pass-rusher.

Hendrickson contributed to a few contenders during his stop there, including a trip to Super Bowl LVI, and is now set to usher in a new era of defensive-minded Ravens football and a regional style he's plenty familiar with.

He spoke on the easy transition he's expecting when asked about remaining in the division at his opening press conference.

"I go into every game like it's the most important game," he said. "When you're playing in the AFC North and this division specifically, it's tough. What was almost more exciting was to stay in the North. It's gritty football, and it's the type of football I like to play."

Former Cincinnati Bengals Defensive End Trey Hendrickson — Jan 15, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates after defeating the Baltimore Ravens in a wild card game at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

He leveraged his 2020 breakout with the New Orleans Saints into thriving as the Bengals' go-to edge-rusher, where he secured 61 sacks and notched 120 quarterback hits over a profitable half-decade of pocket-crashing. In 2024, his final full season of contribution, he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks and earned a First Team All-Pro nod, inspiring belief that he has plenty left to provide upon inking a four-year, $112 million agreement to move to Baltimore.

Remaining Close to His Old Team

Hendrickson remains on an esteemed list of name-brand defensive ends alongside Myles Garrett and TJ Watt in the conference's northern quadrant, but instead of representing Cincinnati as one of the AFC's premier takedown artists, he'll face off against his old friends twice a season as a Raven.

After having to spend the first half of the 2020s chasing Lamar Jackson around Baltimore's backfield, he'll now pivot to laser-in on Joe Burrow, the man who once stood a few minutes away from quarterbacking his way to a ring for Hendrickson and the Bengals. And while Jackson may have been a sitting duck behind his most recent unimpressive offensive line, going down 36 times, he's got nothing on the pure pocket-lingering of Burrow, who boasts 213 sacks over 77 career games.

Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow and Baltimore Ravens Defensive End Trey Hendrickson — Injured Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) talks on the bench with injured defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) in the second quarter of the NFL Week 12 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Joe is one of the best in the National Football League," Hendrickson said. "I like to affect games. It's continuing to play the same brand of football. It's the standard that I've carried since Day 1. It doesn't matter who we're playing. The wins are important."

Though a revenge tour against Burrow and friends did not fuel Hendrickson when asked about his free agency motives, the brand of football he's expecting to walk into and continue factoring into certainly played a part in his picking the Ravens over other interested suitors. He knows how much of a role grungy defense plays in the hate-filled matchups that go on up north, and if an old teammate stands as the target of the week, then so be it.

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