The Cincinnati Bengals have officially lost Trey Hendrickson in NFL free agency, and to the worst team imaginable. In what can only be described as a bizarre and unprecedented series of events, the Ravens traded for Maxx Crosby, backed out of the trade, and by the time most of the football world woke up the next day, they had signed Hendrickson to replace Crosby.
And there's no question that the Bengals have to respond. Not only has Hendrickson now officially left Cincinnati, but the Bengals will have to face him twice a year. Most of the top pass rushers in free agency have already been signed, so the Bengals will have to supplement the loss in the NFL Draft (again), but there is one free agent who might make more sense than the rest.
The Bengals already have a Joey B. on offense, so how about grabbing one for the defense? One of the top pass rushers available is veteran Joey Bosa, who just played last season with the Buffalo Bills and racked up five sacks, 16 QB hits, and a whopping five forced fumbles.
Joey Bosa could be the ideal next move after Bengals lose Trey Hendrickson in free agency
This would not be like the Bengals adding Joey Bosa five years ago, but he can still contribute and be a solid starting option off the edge.
He started all 15 games he played last year for the Bills, and finished with 24 quarterback pressures (per Pro Football Reference), the most he's had in a single season since 2021.
Bosa is still just 30 going on 31 this summer, so it's not like he has nothing left in the tank at this point. The Bengals need a veteran floor raiser with the likelihood that they are going to be breaking in young players off the edge one way or another.
Even though Hendrickson didn't even play 300 snaps this past season, the Bengals also lost Joseph Ossai in free agency already, who played 616 snaps for the defense. Myles Murphy played some of the best football we've seen from him yet, but he's also entering a pivotal fourth NFL season with his future beyond 2026 hanging in the balance.
Shemar Stewart is going to be expected to take a big step forward, but the Bengals undoubtedly could benefit by bringing Joey Bosa back to the state of Ohio to help them as they look to get back to the top of the AFC North, which is once again a wide-open division for the taking in 2026.