Bengals’ Risky Roster Move Sparks Fierce Debate Among Top Analysts—What Are They Missing?

So, the Cincinnati Bengals—what in the world are they up to now? Here we have a team boasting a generational Hall of Fame quarterback, Joe Burrow, and they’ve fully backed his top receivers, yet somehow, last season, their defense couldn’t hold up a wet paper bag. Now, instead of shoring up that weak spot, they’re reportedly shopping their best defensive weapon, Trey Hendrickson, the very guy who led the league in sacks. It’s like watching someone try to fix a leaky boat by poking more holes in it. Does it make you scratch your head or just laugh at the sheer irony? As an analyst called out, this move reeks of management missteps—valuing Hendrickson as a trade chip but balking at paying him what he deserves. Meanwhile, the tension’s heating up, with Hendrickson unlikely to suit up unless he lands a new deal or moves elsewhere. For a team desperately craving that championship support cast, this feels like a puzzling puzzle missing a couple pieces. What’s the Bengals’ ultimate play here—thriving strategy or slow unraveling?

The Cincinnati Bengals are playing with fire, as they’re reportedly listening to trade offers for star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.

That’s why NFL analyst Trey Wingo put them on blast for their thought process.

“Let’s recap: the Bengals have a generational Hall of Fame QB and they’ve paid his top two targets. Despite all of this, they missed the playoffs last season because their defense was all terrible. So how do they fix it? By listening to trade offers for their best defensive player, unsigned defensive end Trey Hendrickson. This is how management fails its players,” Wingo wrote on X.

Let’s recap: the Bengals have a generational Hall of Fame QB and they’ve paid his top two targets. Despite all of this, they missed the playoffs last season because their defense was all terrible. So how do they fix it? By listening to trade offers for their best defensive…

— trey wingo (@wingoz) August 17, 2025

Hendrickson is on a very short list of elite pass rushers, and the Bengals struggled despite him leading the NFL in sacks.

The biggest irony of the situation is that the Bengals reportedly are looking to get a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and a young defensive player in any trade involving Hendrickson.

Simply put, they value him as a prime trade asset and want elite value in return, but they don’t value him as that type of superstar he is when it comes to his salary.

Things continue to escalate between the Bengals and Hendrickson, and he seems less likely to play this season unless he either gets a new deal or is traded.

The Bengals have a generational talent in quarterback Joe Burrow, yet it seems like the front office is going to great lengths to make sure he doesn’t get the type of supporting cast he needs to win a championship.

The organization has often gotten on the bad side of its best players, and it’s not like the Bengals play in the biggest market or make for an appealing destination for free agents.

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