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NFL 2026 NFL Free Agency LIVE 1m ago Trey Hendrickson had 35 sacks over a two-year span in 2023 and 2024. David Berding / Getty Images A day after backing out of their agreed-upon trade to acquire pass rusher Maxx Crosby, the Baltimore Ravens pivoted quickly and signed the top available player on the free-agent market. The Ravens agreed to terms with Trey Hendrickson on a four-year, $112 million deal, according to a league source Wednesday, ending the former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end’s longer-than-expected stay on the market — he was the No. 1-ranked player on The Athletic’s Top 150 free agents — and surely opening Baltimore up to some more questions about the process. Advertisement Baltimore’s decision to scuttle the deal to send two first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for Crosby after the 28-year-old failed the team’s physical was already under fire, with some around the league wondering whether the Ravens had a case of buyer’s remorse. That general manager Eric De Costa moved on so quickly to Hendrickson, who only cost the Ravens a lot of money and not any draft picks, will only lead to more skepticism. The Ravens, though, had to come out of this offseason with a dynamic pass rusher after finishing with just 30 sacks last year, and Hendrickson was the closest thing to Crosby who was available. The 31-year-old Hendrickson, who spent the last five seasons in Cincinnati, is a four-time Pro Bowler with 81 career sacks and 15 forced fumbles. The Ravens are plenty familiar with him, facing him twice a season over the last five years. Like Crosby, Hendrickson is also coming off an injury-shortened season that necessitated surgery. After playing just seven games in 2025, Hendrickson had core muscle surgery in January to repair a hip/pelvic issue. When healthy, Hendrickson has been one of the league’s top pass rushers. The nine-year pro, who played his first four NFL seasons in New Orleans, has had double-digit sacks in four of his last six seasons. He had 17. 5 sacks in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024. That total led the NFL in 2024, when he was a first-team All-Pro and runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. He joins a young and unproven edge-rush group in Baltimore. With Dre’Mont Jones agreeing to sign with the New England Patriots, and Kyle Van Noy and David Ojabo both unrestricted free agents, the only edge rushers on the Ravens’ roster before the Hendrickson acquisition were Tavius Robinson, Mike Green, Adisa Isaac and Kaimon Rucker. Those four have 12. 5 sacks between them. Advertisement De Costa said at the NFL Scouting Combine that the lack of a pass rush was one of the team’s biggest issues in 2025, and he understood that he needed to fix it. Crosby was viewed as the player who would do it, but when that deal was aborted, the Ravens quickly pivoted to Hendrickson. Hendrickson, whose final two seasons in Cincinnati were marred by contract questions, was said to be holding out for a deal that would pay him $30 million per year. That explains why he was on the free-agent market longer than expected. Hendrickson is just the second outside unrestricted free agent to agree to a deal with the Ravens, joining veteran guard John Simpson. The Ravens have 10 free agents who have agreed to deals elsewhere, including Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, fullback Patrick Ricard and punter Jordan Stout. Hendrickson had multiple contract disputes with the Bengals over the last three years, including contentious, public exchanges. He signed an extension, demanded a trade, held out, held in and even accepted a raise without an extension during that span. All that came with the desire to be paid the market value for a player among the NFL leaders in sacks, with a reputation for closing games. The Bengals resisted, citing age and limited impact against the run. However, Hendrickson still brings elite pass rush, assuming he fully recovers from the injury. As long as he shows he’s healthy, Hendrickson will fit in well. The Ravens badly needed an edge rusher who was capable of consistently making game-changing plays and harassing the opposing quarterback, and Hendrickson has been one of the best in the NFL in recent years. Only two teams had fewer than the 30 sacks the Ravens produced in 2025. With Jones having already agreed to sign in New England, Crosby now headed back to the Raiders after the axed trade and Van Noy currently a free agent, Baltimore had to come out of this offseason with a dynamic pass rusher. Advertisement Hendrickson now heads a young and unproven edge-rush group that includes Green, a 2025 second-round pick; Robinson, a 2023 fourth-round pick; Isaac, a 2024 third-rounder; and Rucker, a second-year undrafted free agent. Those four have 12. 5 career sacks, so the Ravens badly needed an accomplished veteran to head this group. The Ravens may not be done at the position, either. There are so many moving parts here — and some details that still need to come in with the Hendrickson year-by-year breakdown — that it’s impossible to know exactly where the Ravens stand with the cap. Look, the optics are bad, and the Ravens will have to deal with the rest of the league’s scrutiny about how quickly they pivoted away from Crosby and signed Hendrickson. However, this was the move that made the most sense following the fallout from the Crosby deal. Hendrickson was the closest comparable to Crosby available, and the Ravens had to get a pass rusher. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle