Trey Hendrickson reveals why playing against one quarterback led him to making a unique change long before he joined the Bengals
There's a reason why Trey Hendrickson finishes more sacks than not for the Cincinnati Bengals, and it separates him from most other defensive linemen in the NFL.Not wearing gloves works for him.You don't see many players rushing the passer without any protection for their hands. The stickiness of gloves should help bring quarterbacks down. Hendrickson […]
There's a reason why Trey Hendrickson finishes more sacks than not for the Cincinnati Bengals, and it separates him from most other defensive linemen in the NFL.
Not wearing gloves works for him.
You don't see many players rushing the passer without any protection for their hands. The stickiness of gloves should help bring quarterbacks down. Hendrickson has been doing it with his bare hands for years, and it all began when he faced a former NFL starting QB.
Trey Hendrickson reveals why he doesn't wear gloves
Hendrickson's glove usage varied when he was playing college football at Florida Atlantic University, but he officially made the decision to never wear them during his rookie season with the New Orleans Saints.
In an appearance on the Ross Tucker Podcast, Hendrickson said failing to sack then Buffalo Bills QB Tyrod Taylor changed everything for him.
"It was one of those things in New Orleans when I first got drafted here," Hendrickson said while in New Orleans during the week of Super Bowl LIX. "At FAU if it was a sticky game I wouldn't wear gloves in college but I fell off Tyrod Taylor a couple times, you know, and then the rest is history.
"I'm like I'm done with gloves. I'm gonna grind it out, and that was it and now we're here."
The Saints beat the Bills 47-10 in that game in Buffalo. It was such a blowout that Taylor was benched for Nathan Peterman late in the fourth quarter.
Taylor was sacked twice, but not by Hendrickson. The rookie rushed the passer 26 times that game and came away with one pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.
Interestingly enough, Hendrickson did wear gloves the next week when the Saints played the then Washington Redskins. Perhaps his official change would come later, attributed to the Bills game.
Hendrickson notably didn't pop off as a pass-rusher until his fourth and final season in New Orleans. He exploded with 13.5 sacks in 2020 before leaving the team for Cincinnati in free agency the following year. The Bengals have watched him record 60.5 sacks in regular season and postseason play since 2021.
Cincinnati is looking to extend Hendrickson's contract sometime this offseason. The 30-year old told Tucker he's had "good conversations" with the club about the process.
There will be no stipulations about wearing gloves. The Bengals are perfectly fine without him wearing any.
Way-too-early 2026 NFL Mock Draft shows how the Bengals can help out Trey Hendrickson after extending his contract
The Bengals will likely still need pass rushers next year.
