The Cincinnati Bengals are facing defensive challenges after a season where they rallied into playoff contention before falling short in the competitive AFC. Two defensive situations are currently creating concerns for the team.
Rookie Shemar Stewart hasn’t signed his contract and is holding out from team activities.
“Stewart told reporters that he ‘decided not to sign those papers’ and preferred to be an active participant instead of a passive one,” according to ESPN’s Ben Baby.
Veteran pass rusher Trey Hendrickson is seeking a new contract with Cincinnati, but negotiations appear to have stalled completely.
“No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft,” Hendrickson told ESPN. “The offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level.”
The Bengals haven’t shown interest in meeting Hendrickson’s contract demands.
If Cincinnati doesn’t extend Hendrickson, the Detroit Lions could be a potential landing spot.
“In a recent article by CBS Sports exploring the best potential fits for Hendrickson, the Lions were listed first. There are salary cap hurdles that the Lions would have to navigate in order to land Hendrickson and re-sign him, but they have the cap space in 2025 to make the move,” Christian Booher wrote.
Hendrickson would form a formidable pass-rushing duo with Aidan Hutchinson in Detroit. Hutchinson is recovering from injury, and Hendrickson’s presence would strengthen the Lions’ defensive front while Hutchinson returns to full health.
