It’s Time To Recognize Trey Hendrickson’s All-Time Franchise Greatness
Credit: Albert Cesare via Imagn Images
The great LeBron James once said “NOT one, NOT two, NOT three…” when imagining the championships he would bring to Miami (He still owes South Beach a few). The not-so-famous Justin Wood of your local bar was also quoted saying that Sunday while watching the Cincinnati Bengals get a home win against the Las Vegas Raiders.
I wasn’t saying that to predict future championships in Cincinnati — I’ve been a fan since the ’80s, I know better. No, that was me describing the career day Trey Hendrickson was having, recounting the number of times he was able to get to the quarterback. Not one. Not two. Not three. Hendrickson was able to get four sacks, including one strip sack that led to a Logan Wilson recovery. But this performance would up overlooked due to Joey Burrow throwing for five touchdowns and the return of Mike Gesicki’s gawdawful Griddy.
Trey Hendrickson with the best #SpeedToPower rush I’ve seen this season. All starts with the great get off from the wide alignment!
Hendrickson puts pressure on the OL’s set & when he transitions to power, it’s full commitment. He floors the OL & gets the sack! #PassRush pic.twitter.com/PUG9dIRJX6
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) November 4, 2024
I’ve been very critical of the Bengals’ defense this year, going as far as to pin their poor record entirely on that side of the ball. This defense has given up the 11th-most total yards (3,086) and ranks an embarrassing eighth in highest points allowed per game (25.2). But I can’t pin any of that on Hendrickson. And after this performance, I’m ready to say it: Trey Hendrickson is the best defensive player in Cincinnati Bengals history.
Let’s just take a look at what he’s doing this season. Not only is he leading the NFL in total sacks with 11 but he has single-handedly kept the struggling Cincinnati defense in multiple games. To once again crib from LeBron: Not Pro Bowl. Not All-Pro. Hendrickson is having a Defensive Player of the Year-type season.
After Week 9, Hendrickson is on pace to record 21 sacks in 2024, which is only behind 1.5 for the all-time single-season record. And just as Hendrickson’s four-sack game was arguably overlooked, there’s no arguing about the national media not giving enough love to his DPOY candidacy on this poor defense. Mark my words, if Cincinnati can go into Baltimore and get a W this Thursday, that win will have Hendrickson’s name all over it. He didn’t get to Lamar Jackson earlier this season in their Week 5 overtime loss in Cincinnati, but he definitely will be in the backfield causing a scene. Hendrickson is second in the NFL with 46 pressures this season.
Bengals had a choice between re-signing Carl Lawson in 2021 or finding a new pass rusher.
Both Lawson and Trey Hendrickson got $15M per year in FA.
Hendrickson has 50.5 sacks since 2021.
Lawson has 9.5 sacks since 2021.#RuleTheJungle— Matt Edwards (@MattEdwards) November 4, 2024
I hear you now. Sure, he’s having a great season and you did your research, but you also said “Greatest Bengals Defensive Player of All-Time.”
Oh, I know what I said, and I’ll stand on my ten toes on that.
Since first putting on the stripes in 2021, Hendrickson has 50.5 sacks in three-and-a-half. As of now, that currently ranks him sixth in franchise history. Looking at the top 5 sack leaders, and they all played at least eight seasons. There’s an outside chance Hendrickson can pass Ross Browner (61.5 sacks as a Bengal from 1978-86). It wouldn’t take a ton more time in Cincinnati to come for Eddie Edwards, the lifelong Bengal who had 84.5 sacks in 12 seasons.
Never has an opposing quarterback seen a black and orange jersey on top of them as much as No. 91’s. In his 57 games with the Bengals, Hendrickson is averaging 0.88 sacks per game, while Edwards averaged 0.49 a game. Bengals legend, Carlos Dunlap, who some argue is Cincy’s D-GOAT, ranks second in sacks with 81.5 over his 155 games, an average of 0.52 per game. Look at it this way, you put Hendrickson on the Bengals for 98 more games, even with him turning 30 in December, and he sails past that number.
Cincinnati’s season is already very underwhelming, but it would be a disaster if not for Hendrickson. The rest of the team has combined for six sacks, with the next-best total being Sam Hubbard‘s two. Without Hendrickson anchoring the pass rush, the Bengals would be dead last in sacks, and it wouldn’t even be close.
I know the media has all focused on the Blonde-haired Boy Wonder doing so much work to keep an offense that can’t find its identity afloat. That deserves some props, but by giving him all the oxygen in the room, they’re ignoring the fact that the Bengals have a generational talent on the defensive side of the ball with a defense whose identity is, simply, “bad.” Sure, Burrow is responsible for the Bengals still treading water for now, but just imagine this defense right now without Hendrickson cementing himself as one of the greatest to suit up in Cincy. There would already be 53 flights to Cancun booked for January 6th.
Up Next