Bengals' Joe Burrow Reveals Reaction to Trey Hendrickson's Ravens Contract in NFL Free Agency

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suggested Wednesday that he wasn't caught off guard by former teammate Trey Hendrickson's decision to sign with the rival Baltimore Ravens in free agency this offseason.

Burrow told reporters he felt the move was "not very surprising," before adding, "I know Trey, I love Trey. I just know how he operates."

After spending the past five seasons in Cincinnati, Hendrickson inked a four-year, $112 million deal with the Ravens in March.

On the heels of a four-year run with the New Orleans Saints, Hendrickson joined the Bengals in 2021, and he proceeded to establish himself as one of the top pass-rushers in the league.

Hendrickson was named a Pro Bowler in each of his first four seasons in Cincy, plus he earned First Team All-Pro honors and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024 when he led the league with 17.5 sacks.

Prior to the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Hendrickson pushed for a long-term contract extension with the Bengals, but nothing ever came to fruition.

He restructured the final year of his deal with the Bengals last season at a salary of $29 million, but he became free and clear to sign elsewhere once his contract expired at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign.

After averaging over 14 sacks per year in his first four seasons with the Bengals, Hendrickson's production dipped to only four sacks last season due largely to the fact that he was limited to seven games because of a hip and pelvis injury that required core muscle surgery.

The Ravens initially agreed to a trade to acquire star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders, but when Crosby failed his physical, the deal was nixed.

Baltimore moved quickly to address its pass-rushing need by signing the 31-year-old Hendrickson in free agency.

Signing Hendrickson helped the Ravens and hurt a rival in the Bengals, although Cincinnati did manage to replace Hendrickson with former Seattle Seahawks pass-rusher Boye Mafe.

As long as both players stay healthy, Burrow and Hendrickson will face each other at least twice during the 2026 season, and Burrow suggested that he is looking forward to it, telling reporters, "It'll definitely be fun."