Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson is active for Sunday’s Week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints despite a broken finger, giving Baltimore one of its top pass rushers for its home opener. The Ravens’ official inactive list confirmed Hendrickson will play, and NFL.com reported that he is expected to wear a cast on the injured hand.
Hendrickson had been listed as questionable after missing practice time during the week, so his availability was one of Baltimore’s most important defensive questions entering Sunday. His return gives the Ravens a significant boost against Saints quarterback Tyler Shough and an offense that threw aggressively in Week 1.
Trey Hendrickson cleared to play through finger injury
The Ravens’ game-day update removed the uncertainty. Baltimore confirmed Hendrickson was active, while the team’s own coverage noted that he will play despite the reported broken finger. NFL.com’s Sunday injury tracker similarly reported that Hendrickson would suit up with a cast on his hand.
The injury limited Hendrickson during the week, but it did not keep him off the field entirely. He returned to practice Friday after missing earlier work, providing an indication that the Ravens believed he had a path to playing.
Sunday’s decision is materially different from the pregame questionable designation: Baltimore now knows Hendrickson will be part of the defensive plan rather than a late scratch the coaching staff has to replace.
Why Hendrickson matters to Baltimore’s pass rush
Hendrickson did not record a sack in Baltimore’s Week 1 win over Indianapolis, but the Ravens credited him with eight pressures. That kind of disruption can affect a quarterback even when it does not show up in the sack column, and it is especially important against a New Orleans offense that leaned heavily on the passing game in its opener.
Playing with a cast may affect how Hendrickson uses his hands while rushing the passer or disengaging from blocks. The Ravens will have to see how functional he is once the game begins, but simply having him active gives the front more flexibility in its pressure packages and keeps opposing protections from being able to ignore one edge.
Ravens also get offensive-line help against New Orleans
Baltimore’s game-day inactive list brought more good news beyond Hendrickson. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley and left guard John Simpson are also active after dealing with toe and groin injuries, respectively. Their availability gives the Ravens their full starting offensive line for the matchup.
That matters because Baltimore is already dealing with injuries elsewhere on offense. Wide receiver Zay Flowers was ruled out with a hamstring injury, and cornerback T.J. Tampa was placed on injured reserve. FSN detailed those roster changes in its latest Ravens injury and roster update.
With Flowers unavailable, the Ravens may need to rely more heavily on their running game and offensive line. On defense, Hendrickson’s presence helps offset some of the roster strain by keeping a premier edge defender on the field.
What to watch with the cast
The main question now is not whether Hendrickson will play, but how effective he can be while protecting the injured finger. Edge rushers rely heavily on hand placement, leverage and quick counters against offensive tackles, so any restriction can change how a player wins a matchup.
Baltimore does not necessarily need Hendrickson to play every snap to benefit from having him available. If the Ravens can deploy him in obvious passing situations and pair him with their other pressure options, he can still influence protections and create opportunities for teammates.
His activation gives Baltimore a stronger defensive front for a Saints offense coming off a high-volume passing performance and removes one major uncertainty from the Ravens’ Week 2 injury picture.