CINCINNATI -- A broken right wrist couldn't sideline Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson for too long.
After missing just one game, Hendrickson is expected to return for Saturday's game against the New England Patriots, coach Zac Taylor said after practice Thursday morning. Taylor said Hendrickson approached him early in the week and suggested that he could play as the Bengals (10-4) push for their second straight AFC North title.
"There's a great group of guys that have been playing with a lot of injuries all year," Hendrickson said Thursday. "It's one of those things where multiple doctors told me it's not going to make anything worse. It's just going to be painful."
Hendrickson has worn a protective brace while going through drills this week. He said the brace will protect the wrist while allowing him to have finger mobility.
His return bolsters a unit that will be without Sam Hubbard, the team's other starting edge rusher, because of a right calf injury suffered in the loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cornerback Mike Hilton, who was out last week with a knee injury, is expected to play against the Patriots (7-7), Taylor said.
Taylor said Hubbard's absence didn't factor into Hendrickson's decision to return.
"He loves this team," defensive tackle BJ Hill told ESPN. "He loves this line. He loves this defense. And he just wants to be out there with us to make big plays and help us win games."
On Wednesday, Hendrickson was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl. He is fourth in the league in win rate as an edge rusher, an ESPN metric powered by NFL Next Gen Stats. He also leads the NFL with 36 incompletions created, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
"At this point in the season, we've spent more time together than we have with our families and we are a family," Hendrickson said. "They would lay it on the line for me and there are guys' livelihoods that are at stake. I have to do my [part] for them as they've done their [part] for me."