Bengals pass-rushing monster Trey Hendrickson is off to an even better start to the season than you think
Patrick Mahomes may have been the winning quarterback this past Sunday, but he had to overcome a monster in the process. That's not me describing Cincinnati Bengals edge defender Trey Hendrickson. That's a simplified version of how Mahomes labeled him after the game. "He's just an absolute monster. Just his motor, the way he's able to rush […]
Patrick Mahomes may have been the winning quarterback this past Sunday, but he had to overcome a monster in the process.
That's not me describing Cincinnati Bengals edge defender Trey Hendrickson. That's a simplified version of how Mahomes labeled him after the game.
"He's just an absolute monster. Just his motor, the way he's able to rush the passer," Mahomes said. "I remember playing him in New Orleans and he was like that and then he got to Cincinnati (and) he's been like that. He did a great job today. He's great against the run and the pass, kind of an underrated guy. It was a good test for us, and we'll have to get better for it."
If limiting Hendrickson was the test, then the Kansas City Chiefs failed miserably. That might become a common theme for opposing offenses this season.
Trey Hendrickson is off to a dominant start to 2024
Through two weeks of regular season play, Hendrickson is the NFL's leader in ESPN's pass rush win rate for edge defenders at 39%. That's essentially two wins every of five reps.
He's also seen a double-team 30% of the time. Only All-Pros Chris Jones (31%) and Myles Garrett (30%) can say the same, but their respective win rates of 21% and 27% keep Hendrickson in another stratosphere at the moment.
Per usual, if he's not the best pass rusher in the league, he's very close to that title. His desire to be paid like that is very much backed by empirical evidence.
In Week 1, he carried the Bengals' pass rush all by himself against the New England Patriots. His six pressures throughout the game came against two different left tackles as starter Chuka Okorafor was benched early in the day.
A week later, Hendrickson posted six more pressures against a rookie in Kingsley Suamataia. His final pressure ended up as his second sack of the day, which got the 21-year old benched in his second-ever start. The film from the day is as classic of an ass-whooping as you'll see.
How Trey Hendrickson gave Patrick Mahomes trouble
This was the sixth time the Bengals and Chiefs played against each other since Hendrickson joined Cincinnati back in 2021. It's a matchup as common as any inner division rivalry despite one team being in the AFC North and the other in the AFC West.
Mahomes and Kansas City know exactly what Hendrickson is about, and yet they still can't stop him all these years later. It's very akin to the Bengals' inability to hold back Garrett or T.J. Watt in their own division.
Hendrickson's primary moves of stab-and-rip and a straight bull rush are littered throughout his film, and remain unstoppable for most of the game. There's no more obvious sign of an elite player than that.
Should the Bengals and Chiefs meet again in January, the only side who needs to change their approach is the side that has to block Hendrickson.
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