Many NFL fans have been strongly advocating for Joe Burrow's MVP case late in the year, but the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback believes one of his teammates is already a lock for a different award. After a 3.5-sack performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, Burrow stated his clear thoughts on Trey Hendrickson winning Defensive Player of the Year.

Burrow claimed that Hendrickson, whose 17.5 sacks on the year lead the league, locked up the award with his stellar final performance.

“Trey Hendrickson, after tonight, I don't know who else is going to win Defensive Player of the Year other than him,” Burrow said via NBC Cincinnati anchor Charlie Clifford. “He was incredible tonight. Any time he didn't have chip help he was getting to the quarterback.”

Hendrickson entered the game tied with Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett with 14 sacks on the year. His big performance separated him from standing alone as the league's sack leader. It would take a near-Herculean effort from any other player to either match or surpass him in Week 18.

Hendrickson's final sack of the game came with 24 seconds remaining to effectively seal the Bengals' 19-17 win. He beat left tackle Dan Moore Jr. around the edge on third down, forcing Mike Tomlin to use his final timeout.

The much-needed win gave Cincinnati a 9-8 record to end the regular season. They now await the results of several games on Sunday to determine whether they can sneak into the playoffs or not. The Bengals ended 2024 on a 5-0 run but need a loss from the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins to make the postseason.

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Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson's DPOY odds

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates as the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare to punt in the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. The Bengals won 19-17 to finish the regular season at 9-8.
Sam Greene/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

While Burrow might want to see his teammate earn some shine, Las Vegas oddsmakers do not see it the same way. Hendrickson has the third-best odds to win Defensive Player of the Year according to Fanduel Sportsbook. While that seems reasonable, he is a distant third behind Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II and Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt.

The oddsmakers believe the award is already in Surtain's hands, lining him as a heavy 4-1 favorite. Watt has the second-best odds to win the award at +650, with Hendrickson behind him at +850. There is a wide gap between Hendrickson and Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, the player with the fourth-best odds at +2500.

If Hendrickson does somehow win the award, it would be his first NFL trophy in a seven-year career. He would become the first Bengals player to win the award since it was introduced in 1971.