Joe Burrow Throws Subtle Shade at Ex-Teammate Trey Hendrickson for Leaving the Bengals

Trey Hendrickson left the Bengals to sign with the Ravens in the current offseason and he is looking forward to face off against his former teammate and quarterback Joe Burrow.

Joe Burrow Throws Subtle Shade at Ex-Teammate Trey Hendrickson for Leaving the Bengals

Trey Hendrickson and Joe Burrow inside the circle (Image via IMAGO/X)

In Short
  • Trey Hendrickson signed a four-year, $112 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens after leaving the Cincinnati Bengals.
  • Joe Burrow expressed confidence in facing Hendrickson, stating he knows how he operates.
  • The Ravens and Bengals will meet in week 7 and week 17 of the upcoming season.

Trey Hendrickson’s five-year stay with the Cincinnati Bengals ended on March 12 when the Pro Bowl defensive end signed with divisional rivals the Baltimore Ravens. Hendrickson accumulated 114 solo tackles, 57 assists, and 61.0 sacks in 72 games with the Bengals.

His goal is to continue on the same path in Baltimore. In his way stands his former quarterback, Joe Burrow, whom he must lock down on the gridiron. Burrow is not worried. In fact, he’s looking forward to their duel.

I know Trey. I love Trey. I just know how he operates.

Burrow said on Wednesday

The respect is mutual between the two athletes. Then again, the next time they meet, it will be on opposing ends.

Joe [Burrow] is one of the best [quarterbacks] in the National Football League. Going against quarterbacks is something that I like to affect games. So, I don’t go into it with a high or low standard – it’s my standard.

Hendrickson said via Ravens official website

The Ravens face off against the Bengals in Week 7, on October 25. The reverse fixture will take place in week 17, on December 31.

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How did the Ravens acquire Trey Hendrickson?

Hendrickson signed a four-year contract with the Bengals, which ended after the 2024 season. He requested that the Bengals either give him a long-term deal or trade him to a different team. They granted him to seek a trade, but no team showed any interest.

Joe Burrow Throws Subtle Shade at Ex-Teammate Trey Hendrickson for Leaving the Bengals
Trey Hendrickson (Image via IMAGO)

Hendrickson skipped the first phase of the 2025 OTAs. He reported to camp on July 30 but decided to hold in by withholding from practice for an extension. The Bengals eventually restructured his contract to give him a $14 million bump in his 2025 salary.

Hendrickson played seven games last year before suffering a hip injury that required surgery. He registered 16 tackles, 4 sacks, one pass defended, and forced one fumble.

The Bengals failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third straight year. In the offseason, Hendrickson entered free agency. In March, he signed a four-year, $112 million contract with the Ravens, with $60 million guaranteed.

Before locking down Hendrickson, the Ravens nearly completed a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for All-Pro pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Baltimore sent a couple of picks as compensation. However, the trade broke down after Crosby failed to pass the physical.

The Ravens’ general manager, Eric DeCosta, claimed that he had planned to pair Hendrickson with Crosby.

We came to a point, probably after we lost Tyler [Linderbaum]… Trey [Hendrickson] kind of made a lot of sense… So we started some discussions with he and his agent, thinking that we could have two pass rushers on the defensive line.

DeCosta said

Hendrickson later admitted that he was looking forward to sharing the field with Crosby.

I was looking forward to rushing with [Maxx Crosby]. Like what an incredible opportunity that would have been to have a bookend like that terrorizing quarterbacks, getting running backs to the ground. That’s what got me excited.

Hendrickson said

Hendrickson isn’t the only pass rusher the Ravens signed this year

The Ravens knew that losing Crosby was a big blow, so they looked for other options. They used the draft to select Missouri edge rusher Zion Young in the second round with the 45th overall pick.

In early May, the Ravens further added to the pass rush room by signing veteran Calais Campbell to a one-year deal.

Campbell is a four-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl defensive end with 278 games on his resume. In those games, he has registered 960 tackles, 117 sacks, 65 passes defended, and three interceptions.

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