Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson has solidified himself as one of the NFL’s top edge rushers, finishing 2024 with a league-leading 17.5 sacks.

Cincinnati’s new defensive coordinator Al Golden — who was the club’s linebackers coach in Hendrickson’s first season with the franchise — told reporters this week that he’s looking to accentuate Hendrickson’s skills in 2025.

“I had so much respect and a great relationship when I was here last time and just watching him evolve as a pass rusher,” Golden said, via Geoff Hobson of the team’s website. “Our job is going to continue to put him in positions, No. 1, [that] earn the right to rush the passer. Get in more passing downs, and get him opportunities, and get him the matchup that we need. Make no mistake.

“When you have somebody like that, it’s job No. 1 to put them in position to continue to do that or surpass that.”

Hendrickson was an AP first-team All-Pro for the first time in 2024 and Golden sees the edge rusher as an example of the difference in coaching a veteran versus a young player.

“Trey’s going to want to be challenged and he’s going to want to be coached hard, but Trey has earned a different level of respect than perhaps a rookie that’s coming in,” Golden said. “I think you can treat people differently, but I think it’s really important that we try to coach them all the same, be uniform in terms of what the standard is and what the expectations are in each particular context, and then go from there.”

Hendrickson has reached double-digit sacks in three of his four seasons with Cincinnati. In addition to his 17.5 sacks in 2024, he recorded 19 tackles for loss, 36 quarterback hits, six passes defensed, and two forced fumbles.