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03/11 12:07 CDT Star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson heading to Baltimore on
4-year, $112 million deal, AP source says
Star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson heading to Baltimore on 4-year, $112 million
deal, AP source says
By ROB MAADDI
AP Pro Football Writer
Four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson has agreed on a four-year, $112
million contract with the Baltimore Ravens, a person with knowledge of the deal
told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract can't
be finalized until the start of the new league year at 4 p.m. EDT.
The Ravens backed out of a blockbuster trade for star edge rusher Maxx Crosby
late Tuesday. A person with knowledge of Baltimore's decision told the AP that
Crosby failed his physical. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because
those results are private.
So Baltimore keeps the two first-round draft picks it had agreed to send to Las
Vegas and quickly pivoted to the best pass rusher on the market.
Hendrickson was an All-Pro for the Bengals in 2024 when he led the NFL with 17
1/2 sacks. He played in only seven games because of injuries last season and
had four sacks.
The 31-year-old Hendrickson has 81 sacks in nine seasons with New Orleans and
Cincinnati. He reached double-digits four times, including 17 1/2 in
consecutive seasons in 2023-24.
Hendrickson requested a trade from Cincinnati last March and skipped organized
team activities and a mandatory minicamp, He also missed the start of training
camp before getting a $14 million raise for last season. The Bengals did not
use the franchise tag on him earlier this month, freeing him to hit the open
market.
The last few days have been a whirlwind for Ravens fans. After initially
agreeing to acquire Crosby for the high price of two first-round picks,
Baltimore lost several players at the start of the free agent negotiating
period. Then the Ravens nixed the trade for Crosby, and even after moving on to
Hendrickson, they have issues to resolve, particularly in the middle of the
offensive line after center Tyler Linderbaum agreed to a deal with the Raiders.
Baltimore was also hoping to sign two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson to an
extension before the start of the new league year Wednesday. But that hasn't
happened. Instead the Ravens have restructured Jackson's deal to create cap
space, according to a person with knowledge of the deal, speaking on condition
of anonymity because the contract hadn't been finalized.
Jackson has two years remaining on the five-year, $260 million contract the
Ravens gave him in 2023.
In addition to Linderbaum, outgoing Baltimore free agents Isaiah Likely,
Ar'Darius Washington, Dre'Mont Jones, Jordan Stout and Alohi Gilman were among
those who reached deals with other teams. All had been important players for
the Ravens.
So Baltimore has work to do, although now the Ravens have their first-round
pick again. They also have Hendrickson, who will join safety Kyle Hamilton and
linebacker Roquan Smith among the stars on Baltimore's defense. The Ravens were
shaky on that side of the ball last season, all the way through the final game,
when they repeatedly allowed Aaron Rodgers to rally the Steelers in the Week 18
matchup that gave Pittsburgh the AFC North title and kept Baltimore out of the
playoffs.
The defensive-minded Jesse Minter took over as Baltimore's coach after John
Harbaugh was fired.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
