By: Hunter Montroy

Being a Cincinnati Bengals fan—let alone a player on the team—must be one big pain in the ass. The Bengals are arguably one of the best teams in the NFL, but they’re prevented from going all the way due to mismanagement by the front office and ownership. Frankly, it’s embarrassing to witness, given how entertaining Joe Burrow and company are. He and his team give it their all each season, which is why it’s all the more frustrating to know they’re being significantly limited. Where’s the issue that will be catastrophic for the 2025 season if it doesn’t get taken care of? The defense. And no, not just one particular pivotal piece—but two. Those two main pieces are Trey Hendrickson and 17th overall pick, Shemar Stewart.

Trey Hendrickson is seeking a new contract with the Cincinnati Bengals and is looking to get paid significantly, especially after the monumental deals handed out to Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby. Hendrickson absolutely deserves a massive contract considering he led the NFL in sacks during the 2024 season, proving how much of a workhorse he is. One issue that stems from this is Hendrickson’s age—he turned 30 in December, which naturally raises concern for teams when it comes to paying older players what they otherwise might have. I think there’s an easy middle ground to reach if this were any other team in the league. But it’s the Bengals, which is why it’s a mess. You can see this with the rookie contract Shemar Stewart is dealing with as well.

Shemar Stewart is a special rookie player the Bengals drafted 17th overall to bolster their defensive end position, but now they’re screwing themselves over with his contract too. The Bengals are looking to change their rookie contract structure starting with Stewart, allowing them to void future guarantees, not just in his first year. The Bengals are creating two wounds here with these contract disputes. First, they badly need both of these guys on defense. And second, Shemar Stewart will be an even greater talent with Trey Hendrickson there. Hendrickson is a special player—I mean, the guy led the league in sacks last year—so Stewart would be able to work in tandem with and learn so much from this extremely experienced and talented veteran. If the Bengals can ultimately work out deals with these two, their defense will be scary. However, I don’t see that happening anytime soon—especially with Hendrickson, who will likely skip all pre-season workouts and refuse to get on the field without a new deal in place.

The Bengals are at a critical moment with one of the best quarterbacks in league history. Joe Burrow plays the game at an unprecedented level for this franchise, and the only thing holding him back is the organization itself. Players like him are as rare as finding a needle in a dozen haystacks, which is why he needs a defense to back him up. As we all saw last year, Burrow, Chase, and Higgins can put up 40 points in a shootout, only to end up losing. The Bengals’ organization and ownership need to get their heads out of their asses, because even as someone who roots for the Lions to go all the way, it’s frustrating watching one of the most entertaining teams in the NFL deal with this.