Heading into free agency, one of the biggest storylines focused on edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and where he would be going after he and the Cincinnati Bengals were bound for a breakup after a ton of public contract disputes over the last two offseasons. In three of his five seasons with the Bengals, Hendrickson recorded 14+ sacks which included back-to-back 17.5 sack seasons from 2023-2024.
When it was confirmed that Hendrickson was set to be a free agent, the watch was on for where he would land. Since he was placed on injured reserve and only played in 7 games last season, there was a bit of hesitation on what he was going to get paid.Â
Buffalo was in on trying to land Hendrickson, per Jeremy Fowler, but he ultimately decided to sign with the Baltimore Ravens on a four-year deal worth $112 million and he gets $60 million guaranteed.
Hendrickson signed with the Ravens after they opted to withdraw from their original deal with the Las Vegas Raiders to land Maxx Crosby. It caused a ton of backlash, but the Ravens were allowed to do it before the new league year started and they ultimately chose paying Hendrickson over trading two first-round picks for Crosby.
Ravens find themselves on NFL list that proves Bills got lucky not signing Trey Hendrickson
Brad Gagnon from Bleacher Report listed some of the worst contracts in the NFL heading into 2026, and Hendrickson’s deal made it on there which shows that the Bills should be glad that they didn’t pay him what the Ravens did.
"The Problem:Â The 31-year-old is coming off a season derailed by lingering core muscle injuries. There's a good chance that contributes to his decline entering his 10th season, paving the way for this panic signing to backfire on the Ravens." said Gagnon.
"The Kicker:Â Hendrickson is slated to cost the team $34.5 million in his age-35 season in 2029. Watch for the Ravens to wind up paying a $27 million dead-cap charge just to make him go away in 2028." Gagnon added.
Instead of landing Hendrickson for this kind of money, the Bills managed to sign Bradley Chubb on a three-year deal worth up to $52.5 million. Buffalo doesn't have a huge financial commitment to Chubb like the Ravens do with Hendrickson. Not to mention, Chubb is still in his prime while Hendrickson is starting to leave his.
The Bills managed to get their pass rusher without spending a fortune, and they also added other pieces to revamp their defense. While the Ravens did land a top edge rusher, it’s a huge investment and who knows if Hendrickson will continue to be the same player he was with the Saints and Bengals.
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