Here are five things to know about him:
His consistency as a pass rusher is elite.
Hendrickson has reached at least 13.5 sacks in four of the past six seasons. The lone exceptions were 2022, when he had eight sacks in 15 games, and last year, when he played in just seven games and had four sacks.
Opponents have tried to keep Hendrickson away from their quarterback for many years, but have failed. There isn't a book on how to stop him as a rusher. He is just two years removed from leading the NFL in 2024 with 17.5 sacks. Hendrickson is a four-time Pro Bowler and was first-team All-Pro in 2024. When Hendrickson is healthy, he produces.
His ability to pressure quarterbacks should help the Ravens finish games.
The Ravens hope to be better at closing out games and protecting leads under new Head Coach Jesse Minter, and Hendrickson can help make that happen.
Pass rushers love it when their team has a two-possession lead in the fourth quarter. That presents an opportunity to tee off on quarterbacks, and Hendrickson has proven in the past that he can deliver in clutch situations.
Even when he can't quite get to the quarterback, Hendrickson looks for the strip sack, and he has victimized some of the top signal-callers in the game.
When the Bengals won the AFC Championship and advanced to the Super Bowl during the 2021 season, Hendrickson had three sacks in four playoff games. The top pass rushers can get sacks when it matters most. Hendrickson lives in that neighborhood.
Hendrickson and former Raven Orlando Brown Jr. got into a scuffle once at practice.
Sometimes tempers flare between teammates at practice, especially during the dog days of summer. That happened once between Hendrickson and Orlando Brown Jr. when they were both playing for the Cincinnati Bengals.
It was the first day of training camp, and Brown wanted to make a positive impression on his new Bengals teammates. It didn't go well. Brown and Hendrickson got into a brief beef and were quickly separated by teammates.
Brown apologized to Hendrickson afterward, taking blame for the altercation. Those two will see each other often now as opponents, as Brown inked a two-year extension with the Bengals the same day Hendrickson signed.
Hendrickson is an intense player who has the respect of his peers. That will fit in well with the Ravens.
See the evolution of defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who the Ravens signed Thursday.
Facing the Bengals twice a season should be something Hendrickson loves.
Hendrickson became available in free agency because he and the Bengals couldn't agree to terms on another long-term deal. The contract impasse between them lasted for months, and it led to Hendrickson leaving Cincinnati for an AFC North rival.
Players are usually stoked to face their former teams, and that should hold true for Hendrickson. When the Ravens and Bengals meet, the stakes are usually high. The key to shutting down Cincinnati's offense starts with pressuring quarterback Joe Burrow. When next year's schedule is released, expect Hendrickson to quickly check out the dates when Baltimore will tangle with the Bengals.
Hendrickson should also be motivated to show he's got plenty left in the tank at age 31, and that he's better defending against the run than generally given credit for. Indianapolis, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Washington all reportedly had interest in Hendrickson. He chose the Ravens and wants to make them happy with that decision.
Hendrickson should enjoy playing with Lamar Jackson more than chasing him.
Jackson has haunted the Bengals with plays that made them shake their heads in disbelief.
In 2024, Jackson made a great escape from linebacker Sam Hubbard to throw a leaping touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely while falling out of bounds.
In 2019, Jackson made his famous 360-degree spin against the Bengals on a 47-yard touchdown run.
Hendrickson has some bad memories of playing against Jackson. But now they can create great memories as teammates.
