Shortly before the official NFL schedule release, it was reported that the Baltimore Ravens will have a primetime showdown with their division rival, the Cincinnati Bengals, on New Year's Eve. With this game taking place in Week 17, it's fair to expect there to be significant playoff implications attached to it.
Sources: The #Bengals will host the #Ravens on Thursday Night Football in Week 17 on New Year’s Eve.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 14, 2026
For four straight years, the Bengals have played the Ravens in Baltimore in primetime. This year, the flip is happening. 🐅😈 pic.twitter.com/C96oVIqU2L
Needless to say, a game with potential high leverage against the Bengals would carry a ton of weight for the Ravens' top offseason addition, Trey Hendrickson, who spent the last five seasons with the Bengals. It's worth noting that this is a road game for the Ravens, which could add further significance for Hendrickson.
Last summer, Hendrickson battled with the Bengals in hopes of earning a long-term contract. He eventually got a new one-year $30 million deal, which paved the way for him to earn his desired long-term contract in free agency. The Ravens granted Hendrickson his wish, signing him to a four-year, $112 million deal.
Hendrickson said that playing against his old team twice a year wasn't much of a factor in his decision to sign with the Ravens. Still, you can't blame Hendrickson if he holds some animosity toward the Bengals, given their unwillingness to give him a long-term contract despite him being one of the league's best pass-rushers.
As such, this could give him some extra motivation for a crucial Week 17 game.
Baltimore Ravens new star Trey Hendrickson can make the Cincinnati Bengals regret letting him walk
Whether the Bengals are in the playoff mix or not, the Ravens should be, and this game will hold seeding implications to some degree. Plus, the game being a primetime slot will add some extra attention.
If Hendrickson has a big game on this stage, that would undoubtedly send a message to the Bengals and prove that they undervalued a special player. Hendrickson may never admit it publicly, but a game against his former team (with seeding implications likely on the line) will give him an extra edge.
It would be absolutely poetic if this helped Hendrickson have a monster game in Week 17, possibly en route to helping the Ravens clinch the division or maybe even the top seed in the AFC.
Hendrickson is a sack machine who led the league with 17.5 sacks in 2024. The Ravens desperately lacked a high-end pass rusher last season, and that's exactly why they signed Hendrickson.
A big-time performance in a crucial late-season game could show why the Ravens were wise to sign Hendrickson and why the Bengals were foolish not to offer him a long-term contract.
We are still over six months away from this game, but all signs point to this divisional showdown being one of the Ravens' most important games this season, and Hendrickson seems primed for a stellar performance.
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