Zac Taylor provides an optimistic update on Trey Hendrickson

The Cincinnati Bengals fell to the San Francisco 49ers in overtime on Sunday and one of the biggest storylines from the game was Trey Hendrickson‘s injury that sidelined him for the second half of the game.

Hendrickson suffered a back injury during the loss but before going down recorded a sack for the ninth straight game. While the pass rush played well in the loss, Hendrickson’s absence was notable, to say the least.

When Zac Taylor spoke to the media on Wednesday, he was asked about Hendrickson and said that while they were going to be cautious with their star pass-rusher during practice this week.

While Taylor did say the team would be cautious with Hendrickson, he felt good about the former third-round pick’s chances at being able to suit up and play on Sunday against the Broncos. Cincinnati could certainly use him when trying to get after Teddy Bridgewater this weekend in Denver.

Zac Taylor thinks Trey Hendrickson should be good to go.

Now maybe Taylor and company put Hendrickson on a bit of a snap count but having him available for the game, even in small doses, is better than nothing.

The Bengals signed Hendrickson in free agency after he spent four years with the New Orleans Saints. Hendrickson was considered a one-year wonder in the Big Easy after totaling 13.5 sacks during the 2020 season. He’s proven that he’s not a one-year wonder, currently sitting with 12.5 sacks on the season and 20 QB hits.

Fixing the pass rush was a necessity for Cincinnati this past offseason after they were last in the league in sacks and their leading pass-rusher, Carl Lawson, went to the Jets. Hendrickson’s signing wasn’t the most popular decision at the time but clearly, the stripes were smart to sign him to a four-year deal. He’s made a huge difference with the pass rush.

If Taylor is optimistic about Hendrickson being able to play, then hopefully we’ll see the pass-rusher suit up against the Broncos on Sunday.