Stampede Blue
The 2024 All-Pro 1st team selection joined The Pat McAfee Show at Radio Row to talk about his career thus far and where it might be headed.
Radio Row at the Super Bowl is an annual tradition that features thousands of NFL media members, personnel, and players alike to cover and report on the week leading up to the game itself.
Since becoming a prevalent figure in the media, former Colts punter Pat McAfee has taken his show to Radio Row, and this year is no different. Past and present NFL players are constantly shuffling in and out of McAfee’s in-house studio throughout the week, and day one of his appearance featured Bengals All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
The NFL’s sack leader in 2024, Hendrickson is set to play out the final deal of his contract in Cincinnati. However, a disconnect between the Bengals’ players and their Director of Player Personnel and de facto General Manager, Duke Tobin, has muddied the water for Hendrickson and a few of his well-regarded teammates in wide receivers Ja’marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Although Hendrickson touches on this situation within the Bengals organization during his interview with McAfee, he spent the majority of his time speaking about his career thus far, including a couple of shoutouts to his former defensive mentors in Lou Anarumo and Charlie Partridge, both of whom are now coaching one state over for the Indianapolis Colts defense.
Trey Hendrickson’s tenure as a Cincinnati Bengal (2021-) has been led by defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. Since landing in Cincinnati, only Cleveland’s Myles Garrett (60.0 sacks) and Pittsburgh’s TJ Watt (58.5 sacks) have totaled more sacks than Hendrickson (57.0 sacks).
Hendrickson accredited his production in Cincinnati to Anarumo’s scheme, saying, “I was blessed to be productive under his scheme. I think he does a good job of making it a very open room, meaning you can talk to him about scheme. [As in] this doesn’t necessarily fit to what we think we’re going to do to attack them. Very organic. He’s a leader of elite men. He got guys at 4-8 to rally behind a cause and continue to win football games.”
In four seasons under Anarumo, Hendrickson logged no fewer than eight sacks in a single season, with season sack totals of:
2021: 14.0 sacks
2022: 8.0 sacks
2023: 17.5 sacks
2024: 17.5 sacks (led NFL)
Furthermore, Hendrickson took the time to shout out some former coaches of his that’ve ultimately shaped him into the NFL player that he is today. Most notably, he brought up current Colts defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, who was Hendrickson’s college head coach while at Florida Atlantic (2014-2016).
Partridge is set to coach his second season with the Indianapolis Colts in 2025, and with Hendrickson’s future in Cincinnati on the ropes, could a potential reunion be on the horizon?
Communication between the players and the front office in Cincinnati has certainly been at the forefront of issues for a number of stars during the latter half...
