The Cincinnati Bengals' preseason came and went in rather mercifully swift fashion. In the midst of figuring out who'll have the chops to be on the 53-man roster, this otherwise meaningless football just reinforced what is perceived to be the strengths and weaknesses of this team.
Joe Burrow and the offense balled out for the most part, scoring four touchdowns in five drives. The offense generally looked OK with Jake Browning under center against the Commanders in preseason Week 2.
But the oft-criticized Bengals defense didn't show anything for fans to be excited about. Although the coaching staff insists that they're holding back their more exotic schemes for the regular season, there were enough red flags in terms of poor tackling and yielding big plays to make the most naïve optimist nervous.
I believe there were four clear-cut winners amongst the Bengals who did suit up in the preseason. However, in my humble opinion, the biggest winner on Cincinnati's roster didn't take a single exhibition snap, never mind any on the training camp practice field.
Trey Hendrickson gained even more leverage after Bengals' preseason
There's just not a single valid excuse for the Bengals not to reward Trey Hendrickson with the contract extension his production merits. Hendrickson requested a trade last offseason, played at a rate far below market value, and emerged as the NFL's sack champion with 17.5 — the second straight season he reached that total.
Nobody among Cincinnati's defensive end rotation can currently dream of touching Hendrickson's elite pass-rushing ability. Perhaps rookie Shemar Stewart has the potential to get there someday, but if he's really the greatest hope in the room, I think Bengals fans should keep their expectations in check for a guy who managed only 4.5 sacks in three years at Texas A&M.
It's not even that Hendrickson's bottom-line productivity is so impressive. It's that when Cincinnati needs him most at the end of games, he delivers at a quite literal, near off-the-charts level.
Trey Hendrickson is the best defensive closer in the NFL and it is not close. pic.twitter.com/7yFMoYWPr1
— Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) August 21, 2025
Hendrickson created an Instagram post on Sunday and tagged the location as Paycor Stadium. Not that I'm holding my breath about a contract extension being imminent, but I'll choose to read those tea leaves as a positive omen.
I think most of us fans are past the point of arguing about whether Hendrickson deserves a new contract. Anyone with a brain can see that he does. And based on what happened in the preseason — zero defensive ends showing significant signs of life or pass-rushing upside — there's this weird sense of calm and peace within me. Like surely it's so obvious to the Bengals how doenzo they are sans Trey that a fresh contract must be imminent.
It's not even like there needs to be some grand statement about how Trey Hendrickson was the Bengals' biggest preseason winner. It's self-evident. Their defensive end group is a disaster without him. Not paying him is a dereliction of duty by the front office. While I'm terrified about the state of the position behind Hendrickson post-preseason, it bolsters my confident that a deal will get hammered out sooner.
Like imagine if Stewart, Myles Murphy, or Joseph Ossai actually dominated backup opponents in the preseason? Then upper management and fans might've been talking themselves into trading Trey, only to have a serious reality check in the first few weeks of the real season. Can you imagine? LOL.
The internal backlash, the team's performance — supported by what we saw in the preseason — and the fan scrutiny attached to the event of a Hendrickson trade/regular-season holdout is too intense now. The tide is turning. Trey will be paid in short order. Can't you feel it?
...And that's why Trey Hendrickson is the Bengals' clear preseason champ.