Mike Preston: Ravens panic, look desperate in pivot to Hendrickson

Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun on Mar 11, 2026

Published in Football

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BALTIMORE — The Ravens are looking like a desperate team without direction.

One day after nixing a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders for defensive end Maxx Crosby because of a failed physical, the Ravens have agreed to a four-year, $112 million deal with free agent pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

It looks good on paper, and it saves the Ravens some embarrassment from the Crosby fiasco. But Hendrickson, at age 31, is three years older than Crosby. The Ravens also restructured quarterback Lamar Jackson’s contract, according to a source, which will free up about $40 million in salary cap space for next season.

Like Crosby, Hendrickson’s season was cut short last season. He played in only seven games in 2025 before undergoing core surgery in December to repair a hip/pelvic issue. He had only four sacks.

And Jackson’s deal might have come a little too late to have a major impact.

Pardon me for not getting too excited.

The best thing about this deal is that the Ravens don’t have to surrender first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027 as they would have with Crosby, but it appears the Ravens are desperate and in panic mode.

It’s understandable why the team had to pull the trigger with Hendrickson. Defensive tackle Travis Jones led the Ravens with five sacks last year, and Baltimore’s 30 sacks were the third-fewest in the NFL. But besides being in dire straits, are the Ravens confident that Hendrickson’s medicals are any better than Crosby’s? Will fans have the proverbial rug pulled out from them again? It’s hard not to think it’s possible now.

Now, general manager Eric DeCosta’s credibility around the NFL is in question. He initially agreed to the deal with the Raiders, then backed out after both teams had agreed to free agent deals with other players.

It’s mind-boggling and confusing. Will other general managers think twice before engaging in trade talks with the Ravens now? Have they lost their credibility? And, another question: Who exactly is running the show at The Castle in Owings Mills?

It’s been a bizarre 72 hours. The Ravens lost a bunch of key players, including one of the best centers in the league in Tyler Linderbaum, two tight ends in Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, starting safety Alohi Gilman, top fullback Patrick Ricard, one of the league’s best punters in Jordan Stout, No. 3 safety Ar’Darius Washington and midseason trade acquisition and linebacker Dre’Mont Jones.

Who is next, Poe the mascot?

DeCosta had indeed been getting criticism from around the league for surrendering two first-round picks for Crosby. Once that deal was voided, the Ravens had no choice but to go hard after Hendrickson. It’s a sensible decision and eases some of the humiliation.

But let’s be realistic: If the Ravens thought Hendrickson was better than Crosby, wouldn’t he have been the primary focus?

Maybe Hendrickson works out. He played college football at Florida Atlantic and was a third-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2017. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2024 and is a four-time Pro Bowl selection with 81 career sacks and back-to-back seasons of 17 1/2 in 2023 and 2024.

Like every great pass rusher in the NFL, the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Hendrickson has a great motor and is relentless in running down quarterbacks.

Unlike last season, the Ravens finally have a dynamic pass rusher, something they didn’t have in 2025. But like Crosby, Hendrickson is a gamble. The Ravens had to pursue him because, despite what new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said about two weeks ago, they had no pass rush last season.

At least the Ravens got some other good news Wednesday with Jackson’s contract being restructured. They had to look good after the Crosby debacle.

But maybe now the Ravens can find a guard or two in the draft to help Jackson stay upright, even though it’s probably too late to find one in free agency. They also need a big-bodied receiver on the outside. But that’s been a recurring story for the Ravens since the start of last season. They came within a missed field goal of winning the AFC North but lost to the Steelers.

They are always too late.