In the aftermath of the Ravens' failed trade for Maxx Crosby, Trey Hendrickson emerged.
Some might say the two were connected. Hendrickson certainly believed they would be -- as teammates -- in 2026.
"I was looking forward to rushing with him," Hendrickson said during an appearance on Terron Armstead's The Set . "Like what an incredible opportunity that would have been to have a bookends like that terrorizing quarterbacks, getting running backs to the ground. That's what got me excited."
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta previously said Hendrickson wasn't a Plan B after the Crosby fallout, but rather that Plan A was trading for Crosby and signing Hendrickson.
Instead of being ecstatic about his new partnership with Crosby, Hendrickson ended up representing a bit of a consolation prize in Baltimore, where the Ravens pulled out of the Crosby trade due to concerns regarding Crosby's long-term health and pivoted toward showcasing Hendrickson as their grand prize of the offseason. That's all in the past now, though, and Hendrickson is looking ahead to what he believes is an excellent opportunity in Baltimore, where Hendrickson thinks he'll have his best chance to reach the Super Bowl since he did so with the Bengals in the 2021 season.
"When I look back, maybe I'll be more appreciative of how special that team was. But right now I'm on the hunt for one thing and that's to win it all," Hendrickson said. "I'm incredibly blessed to be in an opportunity representing organizations that have done it. I'm excited to be a part of something that there is potential. When you're talking about No. 8 (Lamar Jackson) throwing the ball around, like, you know it's a quarterback-driven league. Sean Payton talked about that when I was a rookie (in New Orleans). There might be 32 teams, but there's about seven or eight that can win it all, and we got one of them."
Hendrickson joined a Ravens defense that undoubtedly needed reinforcements up front. Baltimore still has personnel questions to answer before the start of the season -- including along the defensive interior -- but Hendrickson should solve one of its biggest needs. If he can play a full season, he'll likely break double-digit sacks and make the difference the Ravens sorely needed in 2025.
We'll see if it leads to the glory Hendrickson seeks.
