Bengals postgame wrap after loss to Chicago Bears
Enquirer beat reporter Kelsey Conway on the Bengals’ 47-42 loss to the Chicago Bears on Nov. 2.
Now that the NFL trade deadline has passed, the Cincinnati Bengals are no longer able to make any trades for the rest of the season. Cincinnati traded linebacker Logan Wilson to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a seventh-round pick and opted not to move Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson to another team.
Hendrickson will remain a Bengal for at least eight more games. Where Hendrickson plays in 2026 will be one of the biggest questions of the NFL offseason as his contract expires with the Bengals after this season. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March if the Bengals decide not to place the franchise tag on him. If Cincinnati does tag Hendrickson, which seems unlikely at this point, he would then play another season in stripes.
Rumors swirled for weeks ahead of the trade deadline about Hendrickson potentially joining a team that is playoff-ready and needing pass rush help like the San Francisco 49ers. NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported the Bengals were asking for a first-round pick in exchange for Hendrickson.
Given Hendrickson’s age (31 on Dec. 5) and the premium the NFL places on first-round picks, it seemed unlikely a team would be willing to give the Bengals a first-round pick. If another team traded for Hendrickson, they would also be doing so knowing they would be giving him an extension this offseason that will come with a hefty price tag.
It’s why Hendrickson being dealt before the deadline always seemed unlikely even though it could have helped the Bengals in the long term. He’s also the best player on the Bengals’ defense. Without Hendrickson, Cincinnati’s defense would take a significant step backwards.
Hendrickson has missed the last two games with a nagging hip injury. Despite playing two games less than most of the Bengals’ edge rushers, Hendrickson still leads the team in sacks (4) and quarterback hits (8). The Bengals have 13 sacks through nine games as a team.
Even though the Bengals don’t want to admit it, the season is essentially over. With a 3-6 record, the Bengals are looking at an 86 percent chance of missing the playoffs for a third consecutive year, according to PlayoffStatus.com.
The Bengals will need to undergo a massive overhaul on defense. Cincinnati – for a second straight year – is not good enough on the defensive side of the ball. Between the lack of talent and development on defense over the last three years, the Bengals are now stuck with the league’s worst defense in yards (426.6) and points allowed (33.3).
Cincinnati’s defense isn’t just bad again this year. It is on pace to become the NFL’s worst defense of all-time.  Cincinnati has allowed 300 points this season, the most in the NFL.
Cincinnati’s average of 33.3 points allowed per game has the team on pace to give up 567 points this season. This would be the most points allowed in an NFL season, breaking the Carolina Panthers record of 534 points allowed in the 2024 season.
With so much money tied up in the contracts of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the rebuild on defense will start and end with the draft. It’s why any picks the team could have received by trading a current player that won’t be in Cincinnati long term would help.
When the Bengals were unable to reach an agreement with Hendrickson on a long-term deal and compromised by giving him a pay increase for the final year of his current deal with the club, it signaled Hendrickson’s days in Cincinnati are numbered.
To ensure Hendrickson played this season, the Bengals gave him a $14 million raise. Hendrickson is making $30 million this year. In 70 career games for the Bengals, Hendrickson has recorded 60 sacks.
The Bengals’ decision to move on from Wilson was the right move for now and the future.
Wilson, who was named a team captain ahead of the season, lost his starting job in Week 6 to rookie Barrett Carter. The Bengals drafted two linebackers this year in the first four rounds of the NFL draft and are planning to build around Demetrius Knight and Carter.
Regardless of the Bengals’ struggles this year on defense, the team wasn’t going to start Wilson unless an injury occurred. Bengals coach Zac Taylor has spoken numerous times about the confidence he has in Carter and Knight. The franchise is willing to stick with the rookies despite the obvious growing pains that are taking place with both players.
Wilson requested a trade on Oct. 23 in hopes of getting more playing time elsewhere. The Bengals granted him that opportunity by trading him to the Cowboys and received a pick in return. It should be viewed as a winning outcome for both sides.
The Bengals face the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) next following the bye week on Nov. 16.