Trey Hendrickson Bio
Trey Hendrickson, born December 5, 1994, in Orlando, Florida, is an American professional football defensive end whose pass-rushing production has placed him among the most disruptive edge defenders of his era. He played college football for the Florida Atlantic Owls before being selected by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. After four seasons in New Orleans, Hendrickson joined the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021, where he set franchise single-season sack records in consecutive years and won the 2024 Deacon Jones Award as the NFL sack leader.
Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and listed at 265 pounds, Hendrickson combines length, leverage, and a relentless motor to pressure opposing quarterbacks. A four-time Pro Bowl selection and 2024 first-team All-Pro, he has emerged as one of the league’s premier edge rushers and a central figure for any defense he lines up with.
Early Life and Background
Hendrickson grew up in Orlando, Florida, where he attended Apopka High School and developed into a Division I prospect. The Central Florida area produced a steady stream of football talent during his youth, and Hendrickson benefited from a competitive high school environment that emphasized defensive line play. His early athletic development was shaped in part by family ties to the sport.
His father, Collie Hendrickson, played football at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri, giving Trey an early connection to the game at the collegiate level. That family background helped reinforce a disciplined approach to training and a clear pathway toward playing college football. Hendrickson later enrolled at Florida Atlantic University, where he majored in criminal justice while continuing his football development.
Path to American Football
Hendrickson joined the Florida Atlantic Owls in 2013 and played for the program through the 2016 season. Working primarily as a defensive end, he developed into one of the top pass rushers in Conference USA. His senior year in 2016 earned him the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year award, a recognition that signaled his readiness for the next level.
To strengthen his draft profile, Hendrickson appeared in the 2017 East-West Shrine Game and was named the game’s defensive Most Valuable Player. The performance helped validate projections that he would be selected in the third or fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft, and the New Orleans Saints ultimately chose him with the 103rd overall pick. His transition from a mid-major college program to a professional defense proved smoother than expected, given his production in limited early opportunities.
Trey Hendrickson Career
Early Career (2017–2020)
Hendrickson began his professional career as a backup defensive end behind Cameron Jordan and Alex Okafor under head coach Sean Payton. After missing the 2017 season opener due to illness, he debuted the following week against the New England Patriots and quickly notched his first career sack against Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. Through his first two seasons, he worked primarily in a rotational role while adjusting to the speed and complexity of NFL offenses.
His role expanded in 2019 and 2020, when he began producing consistently against high-profile quarterbacks. He recorded two sacks of Houston Texans quarterbacks in the 2019 Monday Night Football opener and added 4.5 sacks that season. In 2020, he posted 13.5 sacks, including two sacks of Tom Brady against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and two strip sacks of Patrick Mahomes against the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished his Saints tenure as a respected pass rusher, earning a spot on the PFWA All-NFL team and a ranking on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2021.
Cincinnati Bengals Breakthrough (2021–2022)
On March 19, 2021, Hendrickson signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals and was installed as the team’s starting right defensive end. He delivered an immediate impact, finishing the 2021 regular season with 14 sacks to break the Bengals franchise single-season sack record. During the postseason, he added a strip sack of Derek Carr in the Wild Card win over the Las Vegas Raiders, another sack in the AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs, and a sack in Super Bowl LVI against the Los Angeles Rams.
In 2022, Hendrickson opened the year with a dominant Week 3 performance against the New York Jets, recording 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles to earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week. A wrist injury limited him late in the regular season, but he still finished with eight sacks and was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl. Across his first two Bengals seasons, he established himself as one of the league’s premier edge rushers.
Bengals Record-Setting Era (2023–2024)
Hendrickson signed a contract extension through the 2025 season on July 27, 2023, and continued his high-level production. During the 2023 season, he logged a seven-game sack streak and set a new Bengals single-season sack record with 17.5 sacks, while also recording a career-high 43 tackles. He earned his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection and was voted to the PFWA All-NFL team for the second time.
The 2024 campaign marked the peak of his production to that point. He posted four sacks against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9 and added 3.5 sacks against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice. He led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, finished with 46 tackles, and was selected as a first-team All-Pro. He was ranked 14th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025 and won the Deacon Jones Award as the league’s sack leader.
Baltimore Ravens Era (2026–Present)
After a prolonged contract standoff with the Bengals during the 2025 offseason, Hendrickson was granted permission to seek a trade in March 2025. Despite reported negotiations, no trade was completed, and he later returned to Cincinnati under a restructured deal that boosted his 2025 salary. On December 11, he was placed on injured reserve with a hip and pelvis injury that required surgery, ending his Bengals campaign.
On March 12, 2026, the Baltimore Ravens signed Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million contract with $60 million guaranteed and a $20 million signing bonus, adding one of the league’s most accomplished pass rushers to their defense.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hendrickson wins primarily with leverage, hand technique, and a deep repertoire of pass-rush moves rather than elite straight-line speed. He pairs a strong first step with effective counter moves, allowing him to convert speed to power against offensive tackles. His relentless motor and ability to maintain tackling form in space make him equally useful against the run.
Notable Events and Milestones
His signature moments include consecutive Bengals single-season sack records, four sacks against the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024, and strip sacks of premier quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes and Derek Carr during Cincinnati’s Super Bowl run. He is also a four-time Pro Bowl selection and a 2024 first-team All-Pro.
Trey Hendrickson Career Wins
Hendrickson’s career has been defined less by team championships and more by individual pass-rushing milestones that rank among the best in the league. Across his Saints and Bengals tenures, he has produced double-digit sack seasons and postseason sacks in high-stakes games.
NFL Highlights
With the Bengals, Hendrickson broke the franchise single-season sack record with 14 sacks in 2021, then reset his own mark with 17.5 sacks in both 2023 and 2024. His first sack as a professional came against Cam Newton in 2017, and his most recent milestone win came during the 2024 season when he captured the Deacon Jones Award as the NFL sack leader. He also recorded sacks in the 2021 playoffs, including a strip sack in the Wild Card round and a sack in Super Bowl LVI.
Other Wins and Performances
Before entering the NFL, Hendrickson was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and earned defensive MVP honors at the East-West Shrine Game in 2017, signaling his readiness for the professional ranks.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL Sacks | 81 | 236 Tackles | 15 Forced Fumbles |
Trey Hendrickson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hendrickson is the son of Collie Hendrickson, a former football player at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri. That athletic lineage helped shape his early exposure to the sport and his disciplined approach to football development.
Personal Life
Hendrickson majored in criminal justice during his time at Florida Atlantic University. He is a Christian and has continued to live publicly in line with that faith throughout his professional career.
2025 Season Performance
Hendrickson’s 2025 campaign unfolded against the backdrop of an unresolved contract situation with the Cincinnati Bengals. After the team gave him permission to seek a trade in March 2025, no trade partner was finalized, and Hendrickson did not report to the first day of training camp on July 22. He later reported on July 30 but staged a hold-in by withholding from on-field practice while negotiations continued.
The dispute centered on guaranteed money in a proposed extension, and the two sides ultimately agreed to a contract restructure on August 25 that increased his 2025 salary by $14 million, lifting the maximum value to $30 million. His season was cut short on December 11, when the Bengals placed him on injured reserve due to a hip and pelvis injury that required surgery.
His 2025 production, combined with his prior accolades, helped set the stage for his subsequent free-agent signing with the Baltimore Ravens in March 2026. With the dispute behind him, Hendrickson enters the next chapter of his career as one of the NFL’s most accomplished active pass rushers.
