4 things on the Bengals' to-do list before Week 1

With each passing day, we are getting closer and closer to the start of a new Cincinnati Bengals football season. The start of a new football season always brings about excitement, and the optimism that this season will be the one that the Bengals get it right.

The Bengals have had a busy offseason to say the least. From contract extensions to holdouts, it's been quite the eventful lead-up to the 2025 campaign, and there is still more to do to ensure team success before Week 1.

Pay Trey Hendrickson

Might as well start with the obvious, as this step on the to-do list is the most crucial and necessary. Trey Hendrickson is undoubtedly one of the best defensive ends in the league (if not the best), and let’s face it, the Bengals defense is much worse without him.

Hendrickson may be in the building for training camp, but he needs to be practicing and helping to rebuild the defense. As someone who attended the Saturday Night Stadium Practice, I can tell you it was great seeing Trey back inside Paycor Stadium, but fans wanted to see him dressed and practicing, not standing on the sidelines; he’s the best, and he needs to be extended, now. 

Button up the defense

This will be hard to do entirely before Week 1, but this defense still needs to be tweaked until then. The Bengals’ first preseason game against the Eagles had some highs and lows, but the defense proved once again to be an issue.

Finally working things out with Shemar Stewart has seemed to help push things in the right direction, but making stops, limiting big plays, and making Burrow’s job easier need to be next on the list. Along with paying the best pass-rushing defensive end out there…

Play starters even more in the preseason

This one is debatable, sure. On the one hand, playing starters longer during the preseason puts them at risk for injury for games that don’t technically matter. However, playing in the preseason allows for players to get back into the swing of things, and for Zac Taylor to see what works and what doesn’t.

Taylor has spoken about this issue before. Essentially the idea is that playing starters more in the preseason will help this team with their historic slow starts. Playing starters more in the preseason would allow them to shake off the cobwebs sooner, not in Week 1.

Make sure last year's kicking issues are fixed

This may not appear to be the biggest issue, but as football fans know, the kicker and one field goal can make or break the game. Last season, Evan McPherson made some of his field goals, but he also missed some crucial kicks that could have catapulted the Bengals into the playoffs.

McPherson’s field goal record for training camp this year is nearly perfect. He also didn't miss any of his kicks during the Eagles preseason opener. In the Saturday night stadium practice leading up to the game, though, McPherson went 5-for-7 (71.4%), which is a small sample size but is nevertheless around the clip he kicked at in 2024 (16-for-22; 72.7%).

Fingers crossed Week 1 ends up in the win column. Whether Joe Flacco or Shedeur Sanders is starting at quarterback for the Browns, the latest Battle of Ohio may very well come down to a last-second boot from the Bengals' somewhat embattled kicker.

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