It took only one preseason game for Bengals to regret offseason gamble

There's little utility to be had in overreacting to one preseason game, but the Cincinnati Bengals' defense looked putrid in their 34-27 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia on Thursday night.

While rookie first-round pick Shemar Stewart flashed more than a few times against Philly's backups, the starting defensive unit got gashed all the way down the field. Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee looked like Jared Goff 2.0, in large part due to Cincinnati's inability to rush the passer.

Bengals management has opted to irk the only clear superstar on their defense for the second straight offseason, and it was obvious on Thursday that such tactics are continuing to backfire.

Preseason opener gave Trey Hendrickson even more contract extension leverage

As if Trey Hendrickson's importance wasn't already self-evident, the lackluster play in the defensive trenches from most players not named Shemar Stewart — particularly on the edge — underscored Cincinnati's weakness across that pivotal position group.

Those who side with the front office and ownership in perpetuity will argue Hendrickson should honor his current contract.

The problem with that thought pattern is, he's already "played ball" for an entire season, and deserves to be rewarded for his efforts. Hendrickson was only a cap hit of just over $20 million in 2024. He's due almost $2 million less in 2025 as things stand. It's not about mere merit. It's about showing respect and having the organizational self-awareness to realize how awful this defense is without its only premier pass-rusher.

Second-round rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. didn't fare very well in his preseason debut from what I saw. However, he insisted afterwards that new defensive coordinator Al Golden deliberately ran vanilla schemes, assuring that the playbook will open up once the real games start.

Regardless, Hendrickson's absence was noticeable and relegated the defense to sieve status when many of the starters were on the field.

We can talk about how No. 1 defensive tackle BJ Hill wasn't in action, along with top cornerbacks Cam Taylor-Britt and Dax Hill. But once again, this is about the lack of pass rush, which is precisely where Hendrickson excels, having posted two consecutive 17.5-sack seasons.

The latest word out of Bengals headquarters is that the team won't give Hendrickson any guaranteed money beyond the first year of a prospective new deal.

There is no credible argument for the Bengals to NOT extend Trey Hendrickson

A widespread assumption and frequent talking point is that Hendrickson's age has a lot to do with Cincinnati's reluctance to dish out more guaranteed dough. Anyone who believes that to be true is an ignoramus. If that is, in fact, the stance of Bengals management, they are ignoramuses, too.

Hendrickson isn't your typical age-30 defensive end. One look at his basic stats will tell you that if you have any functioning brain cells. He's been in the NFL for eight full seasons — and wasn't a full-time starter until Year 4 in New Orleans. The wear and tear on his body is nowhere near many of his peers for that reason.

I've yet to hear a compelling argument as to why the Bengals are in the right by continuing to grossly underpay Hendrickson. They've extended every other meaningful player this offseason, and people forget, but Hendrickson was so fed up about his contract situation that he requested a trade last year before training camp began.

The longer Cincinnati drags its feet over extending Hendrickson, the worse of a look it is for the franchise. Especially true when you consider they have north of $51 million in projected salary cap space for next season. Plus, they have potential restructures for their highest-paid players that could roll into 2027, where they have a whopping $114 million in expected cap space.

Although the Bengals' reputation for being cheap has improved in recent years, it takes a long time for perception to catch up with reality. Fair or not, their reputation is what it is for a reason. Rather than continuing to play hardball with their franchise cornerstones, this Bengals brain trust should be doing all they can to ingratiate and reward their players with the money they deserve.

Why have I been so pro-player in this ongoing Hendrickson saga and for multiple years when the team refused to re-up with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins? Because in the case of the latter two elite wide receivers, Cincinnati waited to pay and cost themselves more money in the end. The exact same thing is happening with Hendrickson in real time.

It's the most avoidable, epic self-own on the Bengals' part to stave off extending Hendrickson. Because beyond the obvious appeal of playing on a team with Joe Burrow at quarterback, what other incentive does a prospective free agent have to sign on the dotted line in Cincinnati?

That would be a rhetorical question. The Bengals need to do everything they possibly can to reverse how their organization is viewed around the league. Hendrickson's hold-in only damages their case to prove that times truly are a changin' in the Queen City.

Look out below for an oldie but a goodie to drop the mic on why a Trey Hendrickson extension needed to happen yesteryear. Thursday's preseason opener showed no indications of meaningful improvement in this area.

More Bengals News and Analysis