What does this mean for Bengals D in 2025?
Cincinnati has spent months attempting to right the defensive ship under new coordinator Al Golden to mixed results. Camp reports have suggested the Bengals would surprise many with their performance on that side of the ball in 2025, but the on-field results in preseason action — albeit an inadequate sample size — didn’t match that optimism. With this in mind, Hendrickson’s return is a major win for the Bengals as the regular season looms.
Because he’s held out of on-field activities this summer, there’s no telling how long it will take Hendrickson to properly ramp up in preparation for the season. For a team that has notoriously struggled out of the gate under head coach Zac Taylor, it would have liked to have gotten this deal done two weeks ago in order to give Hendrickson nearly a month to prepare.
But once he clears that period, Hendrickson will rejoin a defense that is expecting first-round rookie Shemar Stewart to become a force off the edge. If Hendrickson remains the same sack-stacking edge rusher he’s been over the last four seasons, he and Stewart should form quite a tandem, which could go a long way toward turning around this unit.