Cincinnati Bengals: 4 players the team can’t afford to lose to injury

Cincinnati Bengals need Trey Hendrickson to stay healthy

The Bengals finished the 2020 season in dead last in sacks and that can’t happen again if they want to make any kind of noise in their brutally tough division. Fortunately, the team did something about the lack of pass rush by acquiring Trey Hendrickson in free agency.

Hendrickson was a monster for the New Orleans Saints last year, racking up 13.5 sacks and terrifying opposing offenses in the process. The Bengals paid Hendrickson like a premier pass rusher and so that will be his role while in Cincinnati — Get after the quarterback on a consistent basis.

There’s a good chance that Hendrickson doesn’t live up to the contract he signed, as he only had that one monstrous year in the Big Easy, but the Bengals need him to be healthy. Losing Carl Lawson in free agency, who led the Bengals in sacks last year, was a huge blow on an already bad pass-rushing unit, so Hendrickson has to step in and be effective. He can’t suffer any kind of injury that could hamper his play.

If Hendrickson stays healthy, the Bengals’ pass rush shouldn’t be last in sacks again this year and they’re hoping he brings that same energy he did in New Orleans because this team really needs it.