Baltimore Ravens’ key offseason addition could be a mistake waiting to happen when looking at the numbers in his contract
The Baltimore Ravens tried to add two premier EDGE rushers this offseason, but they were only able to come to terms with one. But was that a smart deal? At least one outlet has its concerns when it comes to the deal.
The Baltimore Ravens have had an offseason that they will soon want to forget. After parting ways with head coach John Harbaugh, the addition of Jesse Minter was met with optimism, as for the first time in nearky two decades, a new era has begun in Baltimore.
But that, along with the Trey Hendrickson addition and the NFL Draft, was one of the few bright spots this offseason for the Ravens. The Maxx Crosby debacle painted the franchise in a bad light, and the Lamar Jackson contract situation still lingers. Yet, if you ask Bleacher Report about one of those perceived bright spots, it may be an accident waiting to happen.
Trey Hendrickson 2025 stats
- 4 sacks.
- 16 total tackles.
- 1 forced fumble.
Trey Hendrickson’s contract named one of the worst in the NFL
“The 31-year-old is coming off a season derailed by lingering core muscle injuries. There’s a good chance that contributes to his decline entering his 10th season, paving the way for this panic signing to backfire on the Ravens.”
“Hendrickson is slated to cost the team $34.5 million in his age-35 season in 2029. Watch for the Ravens to wind up paying a $27 million dead-cap charge just to make him go away in 2028.” – Brad Gagnon, Bleacher Report
Is Trey Hendrickson’s deal actually that bad?
Hendrickson’s contract averages out to be $28 million per year as he inked a deal for $112 million over four years this offseason. For Hendrickson, the contract and, more importantly, the $60 million guarantee finally gave him the long-term security that the Bengals were so hesitant to hand out.
The problem for the Ravens, however, is that you typically hand out these kinds of extensions when a player is around 24-25 years old, and again around 27-28 years old. Of course, there are outliers, but EDGE is one of the positions that, when you get past the age of 30, it can be hard to re-create the brilliance of your prime.
The good news for Baltimore is that Hendrickson has always won with technique. Sure, he’s bendy and has a good get off, but he uses a plethora of pass rush moves that will leave many tackles guessing what he’s doing.
So as long as his hands are moving, I expect Hendrickson to continue excelling.