Former Bengals Coach Breaks Down Common Criticism of Trey Hendrickson

Negotiations between the Bengals and Trey Hendrickson haven't resulted in a contract extension yet, as he continues staying engaged with the team during a training camp hold in.

Former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo discussed his old star pass rusher this past weekend with Kay Adams on Up & Adams. Anarumo called Hendrickson a "young" 30-year-old player who has nothing else to prove.

"So to address the age part, he's a young thirty," The Colts new DC said on the show. "He is a workout freak. He's always in the weight room. He's constantly training. So he's got a bunch of years left in him. He's a freak athlete. His numbers speak for itself. I think any team would see a 17.5 sack guy and take them. He can just generate a rush like nobody's business."

Anarumo got to see all of Hendrickson's impact on and off the field during the pass rusher's entire four-year run in Cincinnati.

Anarumo isn't far off saying no one can generate a pass rush like Hendrickson. According to ESPN, Hendrickson created 26 sacks for himself and his teammates a year ago, which was 11.5 more than any other player. It's a record in the database going back to 2017.

It was clear how much worse Cincinnati was without a player like Hendrickson in its defense this past Thursday. It's only a one-game preseason sample, but Cincinnati's defense created just 16 quarterback pressures and two sacks in the game against Philadelphia without him.

Hendrickson averaged 4.88 pressures per game last season.