{"id":43365,"date":"2026-02-14T12:42:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T12:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=43365"},"modified":"2026-02-14T12:42:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T12:42:29","slug":"bengals-receive-strong-message-about-trey-hendrickson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=43365","title":{"rendered":"Bengals Receive Strong Message About Trey Hendrickson"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2236420519-e1761751392779.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2236420519-e1761751392779.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2236420519-e1761751392779.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2236420519-e1761751392779.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Bengals Receive Strong Message About Trey Hendrickson\" width=\"780\" height=\"437\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Cincinnati Bengals are facing quite the pivotal offseason in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s going to be an offseason that will see them put a heavy emphasis on the defensive side of the ball.<\/p>\n<p>Cinci\u2019s defense was in the toilet in 2025. Take a quick look at where it finished in some key metrics.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>31st in total yardage allowed per game (380.9)<\/li>\n<li>32nd in yards per play allowed (6.2)<\/li>\n<li>29th in EPA per play (+0.07)<\/li>\n<li>32nd in rushing yards allowed per game (147.1)<\/li>\n<li>30th in total touchdowns allowed (51)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">That is all just on the surface. Cincinnati was terrible in just about all other important metrics. At best, they were at best slightly-below-average in a few like pressure rate.<\/p>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">With that being said, it is paramount that the Bengals add some difference makers on the defensive side of the ball. To their credit, they did try this with Shemar Stewart in the first round of the 2025\u00a0NFL\u00a0Draft. However, the former Texas A&amp;M Aggie only appeared in 8 games in 2025, registering only one sack.<\/p>\n<h2 data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">PFF Reveals Bengals\u2019 Most Important Roster Decision in 2026 Offseason<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_5744398\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg 3406w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=782,521 782w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=780,520 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=425,283 425w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=253,169 253w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=225,150 225w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Trey-Hendrickson-2.jpg?resize=242,161 242w\" alt=\"Bengals Receive Strong Message About Trey Hendrickson\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5744398\" data-lazy-load=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5744398\">\n<\/div>\n<p>Understandably,\u00a0<em>Pro Football Focus\u00a0<\/em>named the handling of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson as their most important roster decision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>No, it isn\u2019t Groundhog Day. The Bengals face another offseason whether uncertainty shrouds Trey Hendrickson\u2019s contract, with multiple permutations for how the situation can play out.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>After months of trade requests and rumors, Hendrickson signed a retooled one-year deal before 2025. When back on the field with Cincinnati, the All-Pro was dynamic with 23 pressures and a 90.0 PFF pass-rushing grade, but he played in only seven games due to a hip injury.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>While the Bengals hold some leverage in contract talks because of the Hendrickson injury in 2025, they still may be on the outside looking in to get him locked up. Hendrickson has leverage because he has basically been the lone bright spot on a terrible Bengals defense.<\/p>\n<p><em>PFF\u00a0<\/em>continued their explanation regarding the Hendrickson situation in 2026.<\/p>\n<p><em>With Hendrickson set to be an unrestricted free agent yet again, the Bengals could franchise tag him or keep the star on a short-term deal. Even if Hendrickson is franchise-tagged, though, Cincinnati could try to trade him. Alternatively, letting Hendrickson walk and sign elsewhere is entirely on the table, especially after multiple seasons of contract stalemates<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">Cincinnati Recommended to Acquire Defensive Lineman in 2026 NFL Draft<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_5649092\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2232927279-e1765410356696.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" alt=\"Bengals Receive Strong Message About Trey Hendrickson\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5649092\" data-lazy-load=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5649092\">\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Pro Football Focus<\/em> also recently did a deep-dive for each team\u2019s biggest need and how they should address them this offseason.<\/p>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">For the Bengals, that need was understandably defensive line.\u00a0<em>PFF\u2019<\/em>s remedy was for Cinci to draft Clemson DI Peter Woods with the 10th overall pick in April\u2019s 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">Consider their explanation.<\/p>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">\u201c<em>The Bengals have some major concerns in the trenches, but particularly on defense. They were gashed all year on the ground, with opposing teams averaging nearly 150 rushing yards per game, which resulted in a 45.3 PFF run-defense grade (30th in the NFL).<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\"><em>While his production dipped in 2025 (72.2 PFF overall grade), Peter Woods has the potential to be a difference-maker from day one. The standout defensive tackle out of Clemson earned PFF overall grades of 83.7 in 2024 and 87.6 in 2023, defending the run and rushing the passer at a high level from the interior<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">Woods could provide a balanced-yet-impactful quality of play on the interior of a struggling Bengals defensive line. Cincinnati needs oodles of help in both the run-defending and pass-defending phases of the game.<\/p>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">Peter Woods wouldn\u2019t fix everything himself, but he would be an excellent start.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Cincinnati Bengals got a strong message from PFF regarding the importance of how they handle the Trey Hendrickson situation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cincinnati-bengals"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Bengals Receive Strong Message About Trey Hendrickson - Breaking News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=43365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bengals Receive Strong Message About Trey Hendrickson - 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