It's tempting for Cincinnati Bengals fans to see the name of any given above-average defensive player who's subject to trade rumors ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline. Not easy to see the Justin Fields-led, winless Jets march up and down the field on your team, I can tell you that.
But just because a player fills a huge need doesn't mean the juice is worth the squeeze so to speak. Given that Cincinnati has a historic aversion to deadline trades as is, de facto GM Duke Tobin must be prudent if he does buck the trend and decide to swing a deal.
One of the Tennessee Titans' key building blocks for the future is apparently available. It'd be a mistake for the Bengals to pursue him.
Titans DT T'Vondre Sweat reportedly on trade block, but Bengals shouldn't bite
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the Titans have fielded the most calls on four players, and second-year nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat is among them.
Sweat was a widely-mocked pick for Cincinnati before the 2024 NFL Draft. The Bengals instead opted for right tackle Amarius Mims in Round 1, and selected defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. with the 49th pick. Tennessee had already nabbed Sweat at No. 38 overall.
The way things are going right now, it's possible that Mims becomes the first player Cincinnati has drafted in the first or second rounds to earn a second contract with the team since Ja'Marr Chase (*soft prayer for DJ Turner*). Even if that means Mims is only an average starter, the oft-struggling Bengals o-line will take it.
Having Sweat in the black, white, and orange stripes would be nice in theory. He's a behemoth who tips the scales beyond 360 pounds, with incredible quickness for his size. As a rookie, Sweat piled up 51 total tackles, and he has two sacks in three games this season.
Mere weeks before the draft, however, Sweat was arrested on a DWI charge. Not a total deal-breaker. Prospects like Dak Prescott have overcome similar adversity in the past to thrive in the NFL.
We're talking about what's happening right now. Think about it. The Titans are in the throes of a painful rebuild. They have Sweat under their control for two more years after this at a bargain rate. He's produced at a high clip when healthy.
So why would Tennessee make him so readily available? What's the maximum yield he'd earn in a trade? I'd say the ceiling is a Day 2 pick.
Unless Sweat can fetch the Titans a proven player, or they use the draft asset they gain for him to trade for one in a separate transaction, it seems foolish to let him go so soon. Looking at the bigger picture, some of the red flags about Sweat off the field from the pre-draft process appear to be lingering in the pros.
Local intel on T’Vondre Sweat’s standing with the Titans from me, @PaulKuharskyNFL , etc. has been established for weeks now.
— Easton Freeze (@eastonfreeze) November 1, 2025
That we’re now hearing trade rumblings from folks like Breer and Russini at the deadline feels to me like the Titans trying to drum up maximum interest…
Maybe it's just a matter of Tennessee wanting to reboot and rebuild its culture. But Sweat hasn't had any legal issues of late. His weight hasn't been an issue in terms of his performance on the gridiron.
Weird vibes coming out of Nashville. I'm a big proponent of the Bengals doing anything to help their league-worst defense. Trading for T'Vondre Sweat over, say, Jets superstar Quinnen Williams isn't one of those things.