Trey Hendrickson Was Eager to Team Up with Maxx Crosby Before Ravens Pivot

Trey Hendrickson revealed that he wanted to play with Maxx Crosby before the All Pro pass rusher's trade agreement with the Ravens collapsed.

Trey Hendrickson Was Eager to Team Up with Maxx Crosby Before Ravens Pivot

Trey Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby (Image via IMAGO)

In Short
  • Trey Hendrickson signed a four-year, $112 million contract with the Ravens after entering free agency.
  • He was eager to team up with Maxx Crosby but the Ravens backed out of the trade due to Crosby's medical concerns.
  • Hendrickson aims to win a Super Bowl with the Ravens, having previously come close with the Bengals in 2021.

Opportunities to team up with another great player at the same position are rare in the NFL. So when Trey Hendrickson learned he could share the backfield with two-time All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby in Baltimore, he eagerly waited to sign the contract.

Hendrickson starred for the Cincinnati Bengals for five seasons, racking up multiple 17.5 sack seasons. The 31-year-old’s productivity made him one of the most sought-after pass rushers in football.

Hendrickson became eligible for an extension ahead of the 2024 season. With quarterback Joe Burrow already signed to a lucrative deal and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins expected to receive their contracts next, the Bengals opted to delay deciding on Hendrickson’s extension.

Chase and Higgins finally received their bag during the 2025 offseason, leaving Hendrickson’s future in limbo. Rather than using the franchise tag, the Bengals reworked Hendrickson’s contract, boosting his 2025 salary by $14 million and raising its maximum value to $30 million.

Seven games into the season, Hendrickson suffered a season-ending injury that required surgery around his hip/pelvis region. After the season ended, the four-time Pro Bowler entered free agency. A short while later, the Ravens signed him to a four-year deal.

Teams like the Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Commanders made a serious push to acquire his services. However, Hendrickson stayed in the AFC North because he did not want to pass up on the opportunity to play alongside Maxx Crosby.

I was looking forward to rushing with him. 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.

Trey Hendrickson revealed on Terron Armstead’s “The Set” podcast

The Ravens nearly signed two great pass rushers of the current era, nearly. While Hendrickson passed his physical with flying colors, the doctors raised a red flag after reviewing Crosby’s medical report. Crosby’s surgically reconstructed knee generated concern among the Ravens’ ranks. Eventually, the Ravens backed out of the trade deal.

Later, the Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta confirmed that he wanted to pair Hendrickson with Crosby.

So we had started discussions with (Crosby and Hendrickson). We had already agreed to potentially trade with the Raiders. We were trying to sign Tyler, obviously. We weren’t able to get that done.

DeCosta said

Crosby returned to the Raiders, and the NFL world was deprived of witnessing the lethal duo in action.

Trey Hendrickson has sights set on the big prize after signing with the Ravens

Hendrickson signed an $112 million contract with $60 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $20 million, which he will earn over the next four years. So what if he didn’t get the chance to play with Madmax? The Ravens still boast a strong core of defensive players. Nnamdi Madubuike, Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey, and Malaki Starks form the core of the Ravens’ defense, and Hendrickson should fit in perfectly alongside them.

Trey Hendrickson Was Eager to Team Up with Maxx Crosby Before Ravens Pivot
Trey Hendrickson (Image via IMAGO)

Hendrickson played with several big-name players throughout the first nine years of his career. That said, he was never truly part of a team that had the capacity to win the Super Bowl. The closest he came to lifting the coveted Lombardi Trophy was in 2021 with the Bengals. However, the Los Angeles Rams, led by Matthew Stafford and Aaron Donald, shattered that dream in the final.

The former third-round draft pick now wants to fulfill that dream with the Ravens.

I got a lot of insight into losing tough games. In New Orleans, I had a couple of heartbreakers there. I had not seen the confetti fall. So I am incredibly motivated to keep pushing to get to that ultimate goal… Right now, I’m on the hunt for one thing, and that’s to win it all. I am incredibly blessed to be getting an opportunity representing organizations that have done it.

Hendrickson said

Hendrickson has made 117 appearances since 2017. In those games, he has racked up 236 combined tackles, 81.0 sacks, 16 pass deflections, and 15 forced fumbles.

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