Baltimore has a clear headline heading into Sunday’s Week 7 matchup with Cincinnati: Trey Hendrickson is facing the team he left behind, and the Ravens are ready to see whether the veteran pass rusher can turn that meeting into a statement.
The matchup has all the ingredients of a revenge game. Hendrickson’s exit from Cincinnati was messy enough to make that label fit.
He never got the money he wanted, requested a trade in 2024, grew disgruntled with the front office in 2025, and then went from a holdout to a hold-in during training camp. That stretch pushed him out last offseason and into Baltimore on a four-year, $112 million deal.
Now he gets two cracks at the Bengals every year for the next four seasons, and the first one arrives in Week 7.
His Ravens teammates are clearly interested in the result. Trenton Simpson didn’t shy away from making a prediction on Wednesday, saying Hendrickson is in line for a big day.
“Trey’s a great leader. He’s a guy who flies around, and man, I am excited to see him against his former team,” Simpson said.
“I believe that this game is about to be one of those ones. Like a multiple sack game.
I’m calling it. I’m excited to see the celebration he does.”
That kind of outing would be Hendrickson’s biggest game in a Ravens uniform so far. He’s already made an impact, piling up 2 sacks and 20 pressures in four games, and he’s done plenty of that work while dealing with injury. He’s still working back from finger surgery, but the opportunity in front of him is obvious.
Cincinnati’s pass protection has improved, but it has not been airtight. The Bengals own a 46% pass-block win rate, which puts them 24th in the NFL.
And while right tackle Amarius Mims has been playing like one of the best tackles in the league, that’s not the assignment Hendrickson is likely to face. Orlando Brown Jr. is.
Brown’s season has been uneven. He carries a 61.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranks 53rd, and he has allowed 12 pressures, 3 sacks and 5 QB hits.
That sets up a matchup Hendrickson should like. He’s been a force coming off the right side, and the numbers behind his career tell the story: more than 300 pressures and 83 sacks. If a quarterback gives him a lane, he has a habit of making the moment hurt.
Baltimore’s interior line could make that even tougher for Cincinnati. Nnamdi Madubuike has wasted no time reasserting himself after returning from a year-long absence because of a neck injury, looking more like the Pro Bowler from 2023 and 2024 than a player shaking off rust. Through four games, the 28-year-old already has 16 pressures.
Travis Jones and Calais Campbell are doing their part too. Jones forces double teams, while Campbell’s size and experience help him win his share of battles and open things up for everyone else. Campbell put it plainly this week when talking about Hendrickson.
“I would like to put [Hendrickson] in position to make some plays,” Campbell said. “I would like for him to have a day where [the Bengals] miss him. That’s kind of what you want when you’re a player in this league, and you go to play against your old team.”
That’s the setup for Sunday: a motivated pass rusher, a former team on the other side, and a Ravens front built to create pressure from multiple spots. Cincinnati’s offense is still a challenge, but the pieces are there for Hendrickson to make his presence felt.
In Other News...
Derrick Henry Has Rare NFL History Within Reach Against A Rival
Derrick Henry keeps stacking rare company, and he is on the doorstep of another piece of NFL history. The Ravens running back has 37 career games with multiple touchdowns, putting him one more such outing away from moving into fourth place all-time and edging past Randy Moss on that list.
The next chance comes against Cincinnati, a division opponent whose defense has taken steps forward with recent additions but still has been vulnerable against the run. That makes Henry an obvious focal point again, even as Baltimore knows the Bengals have enough improved pieces to make this a tougher ask than the history chase might suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Lamar Jacksons Week 7 Status Has Ravens Fans Watching One Thing
Lamar Jacksons Week 7 availability has become the latest Ravens storyline to watch, and it comes after three straight limited practice sessions as Baltimore gets ready for a divisional matchup with the Bengals. Head coach Jesse Minter said Jackson could still be in line to play, but the team is holding off on a final call for now, leaving the Ravens to keep preparing on two tracks as they sort through the quarterback situation.
Snoop Huntley has been getting ready as the possible starter if Jackson cannot go, while the injury picture around the roster has only gotten thinner. Minter also said edge rusher Tavius Robinson is out for the season with a pectoral injury, and safety Jaylinn Hawkins will not play Sunday, adding a little more pressure to a week that already has Baltimore waiting on its most important answer. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens May Have A Real Keondre Jackson Rotation Decision
Keondre Jackson has been one of those Ravens who shows up in the margins first, the kind of player you notice on special teams before you ever see his name attached to the defensive depth chart. Baltimore has valued that physicality and versatility, and with Kyle Hamilton anchoring the back end, Jackson has at least given the staff a candidate who could handle a bigger role if the opportunity opens.
Jaylinn Hawkins situation is now pushing that conversation closer to the foreground. His knee issue has affected both his availability and his play, which leaves Baltimore weighing whether Jackson deserves a longer look in the rotation. The Ravens do not need to force anything, but they do need answers on the backend, and Jacksons path from special teams piece to defensive option suddenly feels a little more real. [Read more 🡒]