The Baltimore Ravens have signed former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson to a four-year deal, worth $112 million, per Ian Rapoport.
The deal comes about 12 hours after Baltimore shook the NFL world by backing out of the trade with the Las Vegas Raiders that would have had them acquire star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby. Now, the Ravens get to retain the two first-round picks that they would have sent to Las Vegas in the deal, and have signed Hendrickson to a four-year deal, keeping him in the AFC North.
Here is more on the deal that Hendrickson signed with the Ravens.
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Trey Hendrickson contract details
The Ravens are signing Hendrickson to a four-year, $122 million contract. This comes as a slight surprise, not only because it so closely follows Baltimore backing out of the Crosby deal, but because Hendrickson is 31 years old and is coming off a season where injuries limited him to only seven games.
Now, the defensive end is linked with the Ravens through the 2029 season, when he will be 35 years old.
Trey Hendrickson contract vs. Maxx Crosby
The Baltimore-Crosby-Hendrickson situation is going to be scrutinized and the talk of the NFL world for the foreseeable future. The Ravens backed out of the Crosby deal after the lineman reportedly failed a physical. About 13 hours later, Baltimore signs Hendrickson to a massive extension, and the situation gets a little more interesting when you look at the numbers.
Crosby was initially acquired for two first-round picks. He also has a three-year, $106.5 million contract that begins with the 2026 season. Hendrickson signed a four-year deal for $112 million. Baltimore retained its picks and ended up with a cheaper option overall. The biggest question will be production, and how long it can be sustained. Crosby is 28, while Hendrickson is 31.
Why did Ravens sign Trey Hendrickson
The Ravens desperately needed pass-rush help. It was their top team need of the offseason after they had 30 team sacks in 2025. This was their lowest mark over the last 15 seasons, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. Defensive tackle Travis Jones led Baltimore had five sacks last year. Linebackers Tavius Robinson (4.5) and Mike Green (3.5) had the second and third-most sacks for the team.
Hendrickson, when healthy, has been one of the best pass-rushers in the league. He had only four sacks in 2025, but he played in just seven games due to injuries. When he played all 17 games in both 2023 and 2024, he tallied 17.5 sacks in each season. Hendrickson is older, and it remains to be seen not only whether he can return to his 2023/2024 production levels, but also how long he can sustain them.
Baltimore addressed its top need of the offseason by bringing in the top defensive end free agent, and it gets to keep its first-round picks after backing out of the Crosby deal.
