The Cincinnati Bengals have done an exceptional job over the past few seasons building up a talented roster to push for another AFC title. While having a solid roster is a huge part of being a competitive NFL team, this is a sport and a league that is reliant upon star power. This is an organization that has put a ton of effort into acquiring stars on the offensive side of the ball including quarterback Joe Burrow, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and wide receiver Tee Higgins. Even with all of that exceptional talent on the offensive side of the ball, this organization has still managed to keep some skilled defenders.
Cincinnati Bengals Defensive End Praised by AFC East Superstar
On the defensive side of the ball, this is a team that has managed to put together a list of contributing agents but in terms of stars, no one is more valuable to this unit than defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Since being signed as a free agent from the New Orleans Saints in 2021, Hendrickson has established himself as one of the best pass rushers in the league including a 17.5-sack season in 2024 which was good enough for second best in the NFL.
Even though Hendrickson has put up some remarkable numbers over the past few seasons, he has been depicted as one of the most underrated defenders in the NFL. Recently, one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL gave him plenty of respect when he spoke to Colin Cowherd on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. That player is Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins.
“I am very confident in my game as of right now. I think, and I know, that if I’m not the best left tackle, I’m [one of] the best left tackles in the NFL,” Dawkins asserted. “My favorite player that I play against is Trey [Hendrickson] from the Bengals. Trey Hendrickson. He is one of the best players that I think, just mentally, physically, just what he does on the football field. He comes out there and he plays with no gloves on.
One of the reasons that Hendrickson chooses to play without gloves is that while the veteran may not possess the elite athleticism or speed of some other elite pass rushers, the FAU product has arguably the best hands in the NFL as a pass rusher. As an offensive tackle, the number one rule is that you want to leverage your punch to maintain distance between you and the pass rusher and there isn’t another player that is as difficult to land a clean punch on as Hendrickson.
Trey Hendrickson is criminally underrated.
Bengals deserve more respect. 🐯 pic.twitter.com/JLytDlErQ9
— WINCINNATI (@WINCINNATI_) July 11, 2024
“That is one of those weird tells that when you come out on the football field and you see a player, and you’re looking at him on snap one, and you’re like, ‘Alright, his helmet is tied up. He has his shoes, swag check. Let’s see what type of player he is.”
“And then you look at his hands and he has no gloves on; for a player that plays with his hands all game, that means that you’re just a little, he’s a real football player. And then he comes and he hits you every single play, boom, boom, boom, boom. Every rep, every play, he’s coming at you. That tells you that you have to be on your P’s and Q’s no matter what.”
While Hendrickson continues to be overlooked by most of the NFL, he continues to quietly put up staggering pass rush statistics. Look for him to have another exceptional season heading into 2024.
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