Joe Burrow is the Cincinnati Bengals. He is the Franchise. Everything about the Bengals begins and ends with Joe Burrow. He is the team’s Most Valuable Player.
After Joe Burrow, the Bengals MVP is Trey Hendrickson. In an AFC North built on great pass rushers, the Bengals have their own in Hendrickson. After going through many pass rushers who were good like Robert Geathers, Carlos Dunlap and Carl Lawson, the Bengals finally have a great pass rusher in Trey Hendrickson. After watching Pittsburgh and Baltimore dominate with the defensive lines featuring James Harrison, Terrell Suggs, Cam Heyward and Haloti Ngata, the Bengals countered with Hendrickson, D.J. Reader, B.J. Hill and Sam Hubbard. Hendrickson, the leader of the Bengals defensive line, was just as big a reason why the Bengals won the AFC North in 2021 and 2022 as Burrow was. The Bengals unseated Pittsburgh and Baltimore because they beat them at their own game: physicality and getting after the quarterback.
In three seasons with the Bengals, Hendrickson has been to the Pro Bowl three times. He’s had double-digit sacks twice and has been named to NFL Network’s Top 100 Players going into each of his three seasons with the Bengals.
Hendrickson has also brought an element of toughness to the Bengals defense. He’s played though several injuries in his three seasons with the Bengals, most notably a broken wrist in Week 16 of the 2022 Season. Recently, it was revealed that Hendrickson doesn’t wear gloves during the game. Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins revealed that in an interview on The Herd with Colin Cowherd last week, saying that is the main reason Hendrickson is his favorite player to play against.
In his first season with the Bengals, I remember hearing how Hendrickson would go into black out mode before games. That might tell you he’s crazy, but it also tells you why he plays at full speed on every single snap. Hendrickson is just as big a reason as Joe Burrow is why the Bengals have a chance to win the AFC North, the AFC and the Super Bowl every single season. The
Bengals finally have their dynamic pass rusher. That’s why they gave Hendrickson a three -year extension prior to the 2023 Season. That’s why Hendrickson wasn’t going to be traded this offseason despite him requesting a trade.
Zac Taylor is the MVP of the Bengals coaching staff. That may be obvious, unless you think the MVP is Lou Anarumo. Speaking of, what if I told you Anarumo is not Zac Taylor’s most important hire to the Bengals coaching staff? His most important hire: defensive line coach Marion Hobby.
From day one, this hire made so much sense. I was ecstatic when the Bengals hired Hobby. When I looked at his track record, I knew this hire made sense. What stood out to me was Hobby’s six seasons as the Clemson defensive line coach. Who was on Clemson’s defense when they played in the National Championship in 2015? D.J. Reader. Other players Hobby coached at Clemson: Vic Beasley, Grady Jarrett and Shaq Lawson.
Not only is the AFC North built on great pass rushers, it also features great interior linemen. From Justin Madubuike on the Ravens to Cam Heyward on the Steelers and Dalvin Tomlinson on the Browns to now Sheldon Rankins on the Bengals, every team in the division has great interior linemen. The Bengals realized that is how the AFC North is won and have invested in their entire defensive line in the Draft and free agency. Free agency, in particular, landed them Hendrickson, D.J. Reader and Sheldon Rankins.
After spending six seasons at Clemson, Hobby was the defensive line coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. That 2017 Jaguars defense was nicknamed “Sacksonville” for leading the NFL with 55 sacks. Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue had 14.5 and 12.5 sacks respectively.
Hobby’s last stop before joining the Bengals coaching staff was two seasons as the defensive line coach for the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins front seven in 2020 included Emmanuel Ogbah, Shaq Lawson, Jerome Baker, Kyle Van Noy, Andre Van Ginkel and Zach Sie ler. The Dolphins recorded 41 sacks in 2020.
The Bengals go as Joe Burrow goes. He is the Franchise. Those two things are indisputable. But after Burrow, Hendrickson is this team’s MVP. And after Zac Taylor, Marion Hobby is the most important member of the Bengals coaching staff. The AFC North is the best division in the NFL, and it’s built on physicality, great interior defensive lines and game-changing pass rushers. With Hendrickson and Hobby, the Bengals unseated Pittsburgh and Baltimore as the kings of the AFC North to win the division in 2021 and 2022. Joe Burrow will be the biggest reason why the
Bengals will reclaim the AFC North in 2024, and he will be the team MVP in the process. But after him, Hendrickson will be the Bengals MVP and be just as big of a reason why the Bengals rule the AFC North in 2024.
