A premier pass rusher, Hendrickson has been voted to the Pro Bowl in each of his four seasons with the Bengals ... He signed with Cincinnati as an unrestricted free agent in 2021, and his 57.0 sacks since the start of that season are the third-most in the NFL ... Posted 17.5 sacks in both the 2023 and '24 campaigns, which are tied for the second-most in a season in Bengals history behind DE Coy Bacon's 22.0 in 1976 ... Led the NFL in sacks in 2024, becoming the first Cincinnati player to do so since sacks became an officially tracked statistic in 1982 ... Also named AP first-team All-Pro in 2024 for first time in his career ... Logged 14.0 sacks in debut Bengals season in 2021, then followed up in '22 with 8.0 ... Also has 11 FFs since 2021, tied for second-most in NFL ... Originally a third-round pick of New Orleans in 2017, he spent his first four seasons with the Saints, finishing that stint with 13.5 sacks in '20.
Selected by New Orleans in third round of 2017 NFL Draft (103rd overall) ... Signed with Saints on 6-2-17 ... Saints contract expired on 3-17-21; became unrestricted free agent ... Signed with Cincinnati as unrestricted free agent on 3-19-21 ... Signed contract extension with Bengals on 7-27-23.
2017—Played in 12 games as a rookie for New Orleans ... Missed final three regular-season games with ankle injury, but returned for playoffs ... Posted 13 tackles, two sacks, two PDs and a FF ... Made NFL debut on Sept. 17 vs. New England ... Recorded first career sack and FF on same play on Sept. 24 at Carolina, when he took down QB Cam Newton in the third quarter.
2018—Played in five games for New Orleans and had eight tackles ... Played in NFC Championship vs. L.A. Rams (no statistics).
2019—Played in 13 games (three starts) for New Orleans ... Totaled 19 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a FF ... Recorded first career multi-sack game in season opener vs. Houston, with each coming on third down ... Started in Wild Card Playoff vs. Minnesota and recorded a sack.
2020—Started 15 games for New Orleans ... Inactive for Dec. 25 contest vs. Minnesota ... Posted 25 tackles (22 solos), 13.5 sacks, one FF and one PD ... Sack total tied for second in NFL ... Sacked QB Tom Brady on consecutive plays for combined loss of 13 yards on Nov. 8 at Tampa Bay ... On Dec. 20 vs. Kansas City, sacked QB Patrick Mahomes twice, including a sack-fumble (Saints recovered) that set up TD three plays later ... Started Divisional Playoff vs. Tampa Bay (no statistics).
2021—Played in 16 regular-season games (14 starts at RDE) and four postseason games (all starts at RDE) in first Bengals season ... Tallied 34 tackles, 14.0 sacks and three FFs to earn first career Pro Bowl selection ... Sack total ranked fifth in NFL and second in team history (since surpassed by Hendrickson) ... Recorded at least a half sack in 11 straight games (Games 5-15), the longest such streak in team history and tied for the second-longest in NFL history ... Sacked QB Aaron Rodgers twice on Oct. 10 vs. Green Bay ... Strip-sacked QB Derek Carr on Nov. 21 at Las Vegas, leading to recovery by DE Sam Hubbard ... Forced another Carr fumble on strip sack in Wild Card Playoff vs. Las Vegas, which Bengals recovered to set up FG drive ... Recorded third-down sacks of QB Patrick Mahomes on consecutive possessions in fourth quarter of AFC Championship, both of which forced punts ... Sacked QB Matthew Stafford for seven-yard loss in Super Bowl LVI vs. L.A. Rams.
2022—Started 15 regular-season games and all three postseason games at RDE ... Inactive for Game 14 at Tampa Bay due to wrist injury ... Totaled 32 tackles (22 solos), with team-leading eight sacks ... Also had three FFs and three PDs ... On Sept. 25 at the N.Y. Jets, logged 2.5 sacks and two FFs (one recovered by Bengals) to earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for first time in career; became first Bengal since at least 2000 with at least two sacks and two FFs in a game ... Had two sacks on Jan. 8 vs. Baltimore, including strip sack that led to recovery in end zone by DE Joseph Ossai for Bengals TD ... Logged two postseason tackles, both in AFC Championship at Kansas City.
2023—Started all 17 games at RDE ... Totaled 43 tackles, with 17.5 sacks and 16 TFLs, along with three FFs and three PDs ... Sack total tied for second in NFL and ranked second in team history (since matched by Hendrickson) ... Recorded at least one full sack in seven straight games from Games 10-16, which tied Seattle LB Boye Mafe for longest streak in NFL in 2023 ... Tallied two sacks on Sept. 25 vs. L.A. Rams ... Tied career high with 2.5 sacks on Oct. 8 at Arizona, including strip sack in fourth quarter that was recovered by DE Sam Hubbard to set up Bengals FG drive ... On Oct. 29 at San Francisco, strip-sacked QB Brock Purdy late in fourth quarter, leading to recovery by DT B.J. Hill that sealed win ... Notched two sacks on Dec. 10 vs. Indianapolis, including fourth-down sack in fourth quarter ... Recorded career-high 15th sack late in fourth quarter on Dec. 16 vs. Minnesota, helping send game to OT ... On Dec. 31 at Kansas City, strip-sacked QB Patrick Mahomes (recovered by Bengals) to set up second-quarter TD drive.
2024—Started all 17 games at RDE ... Recorded 46 tackles with NFL-leading 17.5 sacks, while adding six PDs and two FFs ... Became first Bengals player to lead league in sacks since it became official NFL statistic in 1982 ... Tied for second-most sacks in a season in team history behind DE Coy Bacon's 22.0 in '76 ... First player in team history to record at least 15 sacks in multiple seasons ... Earned fourth consecutive Pro Bowl selection, and was named AP first-team All-Pro for first time in career ... Logged first two sacks on Sept. 15 at Kansas City, bringing down QB Patrick Mahomes twice in fourth quarter ... Had two sacks on Oct. 13 at the N.Y. Giants, with the second forcing third-and-long late in fourth quarter ... Played in 100th career regular-season game on Oct. 20 at Cleveland and posted two sacks and a PD ... Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after career-high four sacks on Nov. 3 vs. Las Vegas; sack total tied for third-most in a game in team history ... Final sack against Raiders also was a FF recovered by LB Logan Wilson in fourth quarter ... On Dec. 9 at Dallas, sacked QB Cooper Rush in final minute of fourth quarter to help secure seven-point win ... On Dec. 15 at Tennessee, forced a fumble on designed QB run, leading to Bengals recovery ... Earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for 3.5-sack performance on Jan. 4 at Pittsburgh; two of his sacks came late in fourth quarter to help protect one-score lead.
Selected to four games (2021-24) as a reserve DE for the AFC ... Did not play in 2021 season game, as Bengals advanced to Super Bowl LVI ... Voted to and participated in Pro Bowl Games following the 2022, '23 and '24 seasons.
Played four seasons (2013-16) at Florida Atlantic ... Finished career with a school-record 29.5 sacks, along with 42.5 tackles for losses, eight FFs, two FRs and three PDs ... Earned first-team All-Conference USA honors as a senior, and was named the conference's Defensive MVP.
Hometown is Apopka, Fla. (outside Orlando) ... Attended Apopka High School, where he helped team to state championship as a senior in 2012 ... As a senior, had three INTs and two TDs on defense, 547 receiving yards and seven TDs on offense, and blocked two punts and a PAT on special teams ... His father, Collie, played football at Missouri Southern State University ... Criminal justice major at FAU.
