The Ravens Anointed Trey Hendrickson As A $30M/Year Closer. Turns Out He's An Opener

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The Ravens Anointed Trey Hendrickson As A $30M/Year Closer. Turns Out He's An Opener

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Trey Hendrickson (91) watches the Bengals huddle during a timeout in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. The Bengals scored 35 points in the second half to win 35-13 on the road. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jason La Canfora · Baltimore Ravens On SI

Thu, November 5, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC ·

6 min read

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When the Ravens got embarrassed by the Bills on Sunday, their second-half defense, worst in the NFL, up to its usual antics, coaches and execs around the league took note.

The Ravens lack of pass protection and competent play calling had a role in three quarterbacks getting injured in about a 12-play span - highly unusual stuff - and once again they had been unable to stop an opponent from marching all over the field on them after halftime, the same collapsing, listless unit that has been torpedoing this franchise for years. All of that was supposed to change, of course, after firing a legion of respected coaches, hiring young defensive wizard Jesse Minter as head coach/defensive play caller and, after raising the ire of folks around the NFL with the shady way they withdrew from a blockbuster trade for Maxx Crosby then giving Trey Hendrickson $60M for two years to attack the quarterback.

Minter immediately coronated the 32-year-old his "closer" with a checkered recent injury history and an ugly end to his esteemed Bengals career with holdouts and hold-ins and not a lot of impact football lately. There were plenty of reasons Hendrickson's market was soft, allowing Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta's stunt withdraw from the trade over alleged health concerns, and then having the audacity to claim to his fans that he had plans to land both payers.

On Sunday night, after that 36-10 defeat with the Bills averaging 7.5 yards/play in the second half and with Josh Allen under no duress like so many opposing QBs before him, one NFL GM noted the Ravens might be getting what was coming to them. "Karma," he noted from how they handled Crosby. A longtime NFL head coach who was watching, used the same word: "Karma is real," he noted.

Whether karma or not, Year 1 with Hendrickson has been a disaster.

He has been a no-show in the fourth quarter all season, and by Week 9, that season is effectively over. Whatever he does from here on out - extended garbage time - is tainted. Rather than put games away, the Ravens have extended their pathetic run of getting DeCosta-ed - blowing double-digit leads in the second half to lose. Hendrickson has been the antithesis of an opener; like his rookie head coach he has been a no-show when it matters most.

The Raiders have to pry Crosby off the field; Hendrickson got hurt in his first game for Baltimore, his production tailed, he missed time with a surgical procedure, and he has as many sacks as Roquan Smith (two). He hasn't has an impact moment, he was absolutely shutdown and invisible in his big "revenge' game with the Bengals, and the Ravens better hope he isn't aging fast, and has a resurgence next year, because, again, 2026 is a wrap (and DeCosta should he trading veterans).

We've been suggesting for weeks on "The Daily Flock Show" how the Ravens should handle this. Maybe they'll start to adjust. You'd think allowing the most points of any team in the second half, and the second-highest passer rating, and second most big plays and ranking 30th in yards per play might prompt somebody there to try something else.

Here's what they need to do:

Less Is More

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Trey Hendrickson walks off the field with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo — Baltimore Ravens linebacker Trey Hendrickson (91) walks off the field with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, after a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Hendrickson is generating a pass-rush rate near 21% in the first half of games. In the fourth quarter, he has just five pressures on 43 pass rush reps, a woeful 12%. The Ravens have three fourth-quarter sacks as a team (Ethan Burke, undrafted free agent, safety Malaki Starks and Tavius Ronbinson, on IR but still leading the team in sacks.

It's not like Hendrickson is taking games over early, but he is definitely effective. The injury is probably a big deal, so then get him on more of a pitch count, and be willing to blitz more to keep him fresh. His age was a serious concern for teams in free agency. He isn't getting home late in games, and he isn't opening things up for others; the Ravens rank 27th in pressure rate as a team in the fourth quarter.

They need to ration his pass-rushh reps better and accept that he'd probably a designated pass rusher, no matter how much they paid him.

Zion Young On Early Downs

Sep 27, 2026; Rio De Janeiro, BRA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Zion Young (9) celebrates during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Maracana Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

DeCosta made a big reach in the second round for edge run-defender, Zion Young, rather than address his massive center need (he could have had his pick). He needs to have the guts to pay him on run downs or just early downs in general, and stop pretending Hendrickson is something he's not. He's never been good against the run.

Longtime Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale - very familiar with Hendrickson and the person who created the defense Minter is running, cut to the quick with what he sees on the film:

"Going against him when he was with the Bengals I think he is a very good pass rusher, and that's it," Martindale told me on the show . "That's what he is. I think he's a third down, second-and-long type guy because he wants to get to the quarterback. The problem is, when they're playing in these games, especially with (backup) Snoop (Huntley) at quarterback, they've got the whole playbook that they're facing.

"They're not getting leads where people have to throw the ball to get back in the game. And when you get selfish, and you're rushing a passer on a run play, it exposes players. And that's what I'm seeing. That's what I'm seeing with him."

Ouch.

Teams are going to start road grading the Ravens more and the Ravens aren't going to win many games, so that closer stuff is basically out the door, anyway. They aren't getting $10M out of Hendrickson this year, let alone $30M, and they are stuck with it all over again next season. Better find a way to make this age gracefully, while Crosby remains one of the unique every-down edge defenders in the NFL, and incredibly durable at that.

Turns out the Ravens started getting De Costa-ed even before the season began.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/ravens/onsi as The Ravens Anointed Trey Hendrickson As A $30M/Year Closer. Turns Out He's An Opener .

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