One of the league's great sack summits is on display Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) at Paycor Stadium when current NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson of the Bengals lines up against the Steelers' Trent Jordan (T.J.) Watt and his 104 career sacks heading into his 116th game.
If there are those out there who don't know by now that Hendrickson has the most sacks in the NFL the last two seasons and not Watt or Myles Garrett or even somebody named Bosa, then Bengals rookie right tackle Amarius Mims would like you to read the memo that the Bengals' No. 91 belongs in the same breath.
"People need to wake up. That's all I've got to say," Mims said this week. "That man is one of the best I've ever seen in my entire life."
They'll be the first to tell you they won't be head-to-head, of course.
In his ninth NFL start, Mims is tasked with checking Watt, one of those rare guys who changes games faster than a penalty flag's whim. Only the late, great Reggie White got to 100 sacks faster. Only Watt has 104 sacks, 216 quarterback hits, 120 tackles for loss, 31 forced fumbles and 22 strip sacks. Only Watt has 100 sacks since he came into the league in 2017.
"I know how good he is," Mims said. "I know he's one of the greatest. I'll give him his props. But it's up to me this week. It's on me … This week is about me. I don't want to get out of character just because of who I'm playing."
But Sunday is about Hendrickson, too, and just how great of a season he's having. He played only three games in November and still heads into December with a one-sack lead over Houston's Danielle Hunter. (Garrett lurks with 10 sacks and Watt is at 7.5.)
"One of the best pass rushers I've ever been around," says Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons, who saw Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Julius Peppers as a rookie and all of Geno Atkins' 75.5 sacks as a Bengal, the most by any tackle in the 2010s.
"Relentless effort and desire. He's relentless. Goes harder than everybody else. He cares deeply. That's what makes him a special player."
How is this for a decade?
In the 2020s, Hendrickson has 64.5 sacks. Only Garrett has more with 68. No one else has 52.
Hendrickson rarely talks to the media. He prefers to let those numbers and his faith that is as relentless as his motor speak. He'll let everybody else rave about him.
"It's a combination of things," says Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., who endures him in training camp. "He has the ability to make all his rushes look and feel the same when you're playing him. He's always relentless. His fundamentals always seem to be on point, never lacking. Truly a special talent.
"His motor is unlike most. You notice he starts to wear a guy down in the fourth quarter. A lot of rushers these days in the NFL don't necessarily do that. He'll get the sacks on you early and late in a game."
There is the athleticism. (Check out the training camp practice against the Colts when he beat quarterback Anthony Richardson to the pylon.)
There are the numbers. (His four sacks against the Raiders earlier this month were the most sacks by a Bengal in a game in 15 years. He's the first player to produce at least half of his team's sacks since 2018.)
But then there is what's under No. 91: The motor, as they say.
"He likes that. He likes for people to think he's a little off," Simmons says. "He's not that far off. He's really smart. He's one of the most competitive players I've ever been around. Highly competitive."
So competitive, his teammates say he still has what they call "blackouts," where he can't remember losing it for a few indescribable seconds. Orlando Brown Jr. thinks that is all very smart.
"I'm missing some (bleep) for sure," Brown said with a smile. "He's a really smart football player. In terms of personality, the renegade-like approach, the mentality, the mindset, as someone who prides himself on something similar, I respect the hell out of him. Once you get to this level figuring out an edge and making the most out of it, that's kind of what he does."
Steelers left tackle Dan Moore Jr. draws Hendrickson, and he's been solid enough that they won't give much help. According to Pro Football Focus, Moore has allowed six sacks, but only 23 pressures, among them only two quarterback hits. Hendrickson also has to deal with an offense that has the third most rushing attempts in the league.
Mims has been everything the Bengals wanted and needed for a pass-heavy team when they took him in the first round. Solid. PFF has him for giving up three sacks, fewer than fellow first-rounders Joe Alt, JC Latham and Taliese Fuaga.
"There have been some bright spots and been some low spots. There have been ups and downs. Especially being a rookie," Mims said. "I'm trying to improve on all aspects. I'm not a Hall of Fame guy yet. I'm trying to improve every part of my game. Whether it's run blocking or pass blocking. Fundamentals. Hand placement. Everything can be improved for me. It starts in practice and all that good stuff. Taking mental reps and physical reps."
Mims, playing his first part in this sack summit, has heard all about Bengals-Steelers.
"Hate. Hate. I've never played in this game before, but I've heard the talking," Mims said. "I just know there's a lot of hate behind this game. It's going to be played with a lot of emotion and passion. This is going to be a very physical game."
If he wants to taste the rivalry, he just has to watch Hendrickson.
"He doesn't stop. I've never seen him take a rep off, everything is 100 percent," said Mims, who thinks people ought to already know how good he is. "He's leading the league in sacks. That's all he can do."
