Trey Hendrickson was the biggest addition of the Baltimore Ravens' offseason. They inked a four-year, $112 million deal with him to address their glaring pass-rushing need.
If you simply look at the box score from the Ravens' Week 1 41-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts, you might say, "Zero sacks, one tackle, that's it for Hendrickson?" Anyone who watched the game, though, can tell you that Hendrickson was everywhere for the Ravens' defense, and he made life extremely difficult for Daniel Jones. His presence also opened up opportunities for his teammates to make big plays.
The advanced numbers back up what the eye test showed us and what a traditional box score couldn't: Hendrickson was a game-changer. According to data from Next Gen Stats, when Hendrickson was on the field, the Ravens posted a 58.6 percent pressure rate and two sacks. But without him, they posted a 20.0 percent pressure rate and zero sacks. Additionally, Hendrickson's eight pressures ranked third in the league through Sunday's games.
So yeah, it's safe to say that Hendrickson's impact was immense, even if he didn't record a sack. The zero-sack stat is also misleading since the Colts got away with some clear missed holding calls. Regardless, there's no denying that Hendrickson's presence uplifted the Ravens.
Baltimore Ravens' Trey Hendrickson proved his value in Week 1
While sacks are what Hendrickson is primarily known for, pressure is just as important. You can't let opposing QBs get comfortable. Jones never did on Sunday. Last season, on the other hand, the Ravens didn't have a player who could consistently generate pressure, or, in other words, a true No. 1 pass rusher.
In his press conference on Monday, head coach Jesse Minter spoke about how important Hendrickson was in Sunday's victory.
Minter on Trey Hendrickson: "I thought he dominated the game. I think Daniel Jones was more pressured on dropbacks than any QB in the league yesterday."
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) September 14, 2026
Hendrickson is already proving that he is the perfect remedy to Baltimore's pass-rush problem. And if he continues to generate this level of pressure, the sacks will eventually come around. We are talking about a guy who led the league with 17.5 sacks in 2024.
Another crucial part of his impact is how he makes life easier for his teammates through his gravity. That was on full display on Sunday. When Hendrickson was on the field, Baltimore's defense was ferocious, and when he was off the field, the drop-off was noticeable.
Having a player who can consistently draw attention, in turn, opens up opportunities for the rest of the Ravens' front seven. We saw proof of this during both Tavius Robinson's and Malaki Starks' sacks. As the season goes on, we will surely see more of how Hendrickson's presence can help the team. Likewise, Hendrickson will continue to maximize Minter's defensive vision.
It's not that the Ravens didn't have talented pass rushers last season; it's that they didn't have a truly elite one, which made it easier to game-plan against them. With Hendrickson in the fold, this is no longer a problem, and the Ravens' supporting talent will continue to pop as they did in Week 1.
Overall, even if Hendrickson didn't record a sack, he was one of the Ravens' best players, and he is already living up to his contract.
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