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• Tuesday Trenches: Best available free agents for the Bengals to sign

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Here’s a look at the vest available free agents the Bengals still could bring in to improve the roster. It’s been a wild week. The Cincinnati Bengals kicked off the 2025 league year by re-signing Mike Gesicki, BJ Hill, Joseph Ossai, and several of their pending free agents. They also brought in outside additions like linebacker Oren Burks and nose tackle T.J. Sla...2025
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• Top priorities for the Bengals once Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins deals are signed

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images The first two dominos have reportedly fallen. Here’s what needs to come next. The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly agreed to long-term deals with their star wide receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Now, they have a top-tier quarterback in Joe Burrow paired with the best wide receiver duo in the league for the foreseeable future. That’s great. Howev...2025
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• 8 teams that could trade for Bengals All-Pro Trey Hendrickson

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images Hendrickson will have a market. With the Cincinnati Bengals giving Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade, the natural reaction for Bengals fans is to wonder who could trade for him and what possible return they could get for him. Here are five teams that would make sense: Chicago Bears Chicago is looking to capitalize on their rookie contract window ...2025
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• 2025 Position Review: Safeties

Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images It took them long enough to get their best safety off the bench Letting Jessie Bates go was not free, and the Cincinnati Bengals continue to pay for it every year. Key Players Geno Stone Jordan Battle Vonn Bell Year In Review After a promising rookie campaign for Jordan Battle, the Bengals inexplicably sidelined him for the prodigal son, Vonn Bell. Whil...2025
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• Three 2025 NFL Draft prospects to watch for the Colts - Part 3

Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images In this series, we’ll look at 3 draft prospects who would be great fits for the Colts in any round. We’re back for another season of the “3 prospects to watch for” series. This season, every position will be evaluated as the Colts can justify using a high draft pick on pretty much any spot on the team. Here are the three candida...2025
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• NFL Draft Combine 2025: Best and worst from defensive backs and tight ends

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images Who stood out among the DBs and TEs at the Combine? The second day of the 2025 NFL Combine brought us some memorable moments. We had guys running below the 4.3 second mark in the 40-yard dash, some incredible jumps and the debut (?) of a new name for a drill that’s been used for a long time. So who or what stood out when the DBs and TEs tested? Kentucky...2025
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• Early Look Into Colts’ Free Agency

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images An early look at potential free agent fits for the Indianapolis Colts The Colts will head into free agency with around $35 million in cap space, with the potential to increase it significantly with some roster moves. That amount gives Colts GM Chris Ballard room to make some of the moves he wants to this off-season. Ballard does have a few decision to mak...2025
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• Tuesday Trenches: Don’t tell us, show us

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images This was a rough one to watch. The Super Bowl is the ultimate game of the ultimate sport in this country, but the game played this past Sunday against the Chiefs and Eagles was one of the worst in recent memory. Not the ending result — I liked that — I just mean it wasn’t a good game. You know, because the Chiefs got DESTROYED. They were outclassed from the fi...2025
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• Clock has begun for Bengals to extend wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images Now that the regular season is over, Mike Brown can pay for his mistake of not extending Ja'Marr Chase before the season. The offseason is now here for the Cincinnati Bengals, and it’s one that will go a long way in defining the rest of the Joe Burrow era. The two biggest priorities for Cincinnati are locking up wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins l...2025
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• 4 things we learned from the Giants’ 34-7 loss to the Falcons

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images We are approaching rock bottom. Prepare for landing. The latest meeting of the Overpay-Your-Quarterback-And-Then-Get-Rid-Of-Him Club took place today at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Founding member Howie Roseman was scheduled to give a keynote presentation on “Jonesing on Your Sunk Cost Fallacy” but had to cancel at the last minute. New York Giants G...2024
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• Speechless

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images This team has left everyone with a whole lot of questions and no answers. The Cincinnati Bengals’ 44-38 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers left many speechless. Where do we even begin with this team? Front office? Coaching? Talent? Let’s hit on each of them. This front office has given the fans a lot of mixed feelings over the last few years. From let...2024
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• Report: Dax Hill suffers torn ACL and is likely done for the season

Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Another massive blow to the Bengals defense. The Cincinnati Bengals were already short-handed in the secondary, missing Mike Hilton, who was out with a knee injury in Week 5, when Dax Hill limped off the field and went to the locker room. He didn’t return, and now, according to Ian Rapoport, it looks as if he’ll be done for th...2024
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• 3 things we learned from the Bengals’ last-second loss to the Chiefs

Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images Joe Burrow has options at tight end now. The Cincinnati Bengals are 0-2, but somehow there’s more hope for their season than there was last week. The Bengals fought in Kansas City and took the Super Bowl champion Chiefs down to the wire before losing 26-25. And some would argue, without some poor calls, Cincinnati would have even won. So what did we le...2024
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• The Linc - Quinyon Mitchell says he’s confident, not cocky

Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 9/15/24. Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ... Spadaro: Eagles ready for an ‘extra shot of adrenaline’ Monday night - PE.comMitchell started in his first NFL game and, by all accounts, played well with two passes defensed and five total tackles (he was also called for a pass interference penalty). He expect...2024
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• The biggest reason why the Bengals could fall short of the Super Bowl

Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images Each top ten team was given a reason they’ll make the Super Bowl and why they won’t, including the Bengals. The Cincinnati Bengals, with a healthy Joe Burrow, are a perennial Super Bowl contender. However, they face tough competition, especially in the AFC, with some other top quarterbacks to face off against. If the Bengals can get off to a hot start, it...2024
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• Colts ‘run it back’ campaign officially begins in two weeks

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen talks to media during the NFL annual league meetings at the JW Marriott. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports The main theme of the Indianapolis Colts 2024 off-season defines how an unbroken bond and consistent operation exists in the building. “I believe in continuity.” — Shane Steichen Following the first season of the Shane Steichen er...2024
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2025
"They have allowed defensive stars like Jessie Bates and DJ Reader to leave Cincinnati to get paid more elsewhere, and their defense paid for it in 2024."

2024
"It was the same offseason Cincinnati lost Jessie Bates to the Atlanta Falcons, leaving Lou Anarumo without both of his starting safeties."

2023
"Jessie Bates III was coming off an elite third season with the team in the 2021 offseason."

2022
"NFL cracks down on fake injuries: Saints, Cam Jordan fined combined $550,000; Jessie Bates III also hit"

2021
"Jessie Bates not expected to reach contract extension with Bengals anytime soon, per report"

2020
"Titans receiver Adam Humphries took a hard hit to the head and neck from Jessie Bates late in the first quarter."

2019
"Cincinnati is already set at safety with Jessie Bates and Shawn Williams as 2019 starters, so Riley would likely revert to a special teams role if signed."

2018
"The Bengals traded down in the second round of the NFL draft and then made a move to help a defense that slipped last season, taking secondary Jessie Bates from Wake Forest "

• Tuesday Trenches: Best available free agents for the Bengals to sign
2025

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• Top priorities for the Bengals once Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins deals are signed
2025

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• 8 teams that could trade for Bengals All-Pro Trey Hendrickson
2025

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• 2025 Position Review: Safeties
2025

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• Three 2025 NFL Draft prospects to watch for the Colts - Part 3
2025

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• NFL Draft Combine 2025: Best and worst from defensive backs and tight ends
2025

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• NFL insider weighs in on Trey Hendrickson; Duke Tobin briefly addresses trade speculation

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Trey Hendrickson's deal should probably force the Bengals to do something they never do. The big story for the Cincinnati Bengals has been laid out for a while now. How will negotiations play out with Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson? Hendrickson, in particular, will be interesting to watch. He has a year left on his deal, but he has state...2025
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• Early Look Into Colts’ Free Agency
2025

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• Could Mike Hilton leave the Bengals for a return to the Steelers?

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton (21) celebrates his interception of a pass by Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Hilton has played four seasons each with the Bengals and Steelers. Besides Trey Hendrickson, there is,...2025
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• The Atlanta Falcons’ best fits for their 2025 NFL Draft needs

Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Falcons were on the verge of making the playoffs last season. What do they need to get them over the hump? The 2024 Atlanta Falcons might possibly have been the most Atlanta Falcons’ team ever. The high moments with QB Kirk Cousins coming early had people believing that this would be the team that finally brought Atlanta back to the...2025
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• NFL Draft Combine 2025: Best and worst from defensive backs and tight ends
2025

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• Tuesday Trenches: Don’t tell us, show us
2025

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• 2025 NFL free agency: What to like, not like, about QB Sam Darnold

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The New York Giants are in desperate need of a quarterback. It may behoove general manager Joe Schoen to take multiple kicks at the can to rectify this persistent issue that’s plagued the Giants for the better half of a decade. Former New York Jets’ castaway Sam Darnold is arguably the most desirable free-agent quarterback. Darnold had a career year, throwing ...2025
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• For Lou Anarumo to succeed with the Colts, he will need some help

Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images The defensive coordinator changed, but nothing will if things stay the same elsewhere. The Indianapolis Colts desperately needed a change on the defensive side of the ball. It was a unit that struggled mightily in 2023 and again in 2024 under Gus Bradley. His propensity for zones and light pressure were problematic, but they were also a symptom of w...2025
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• Report: Colts to hire Lou Anarumo as their defensive coordinator

Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images Indianapolis lands its new defensive coordinator in Lou Anarumo. The Indianapolis Colts are expected to hire Lou Anarumo as their next defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports. The #Colts are expected to hire former #Bengals DC Lou Anarumo as their new defensive coordinator, a big hire for Shane Steichen’s staff, per the Insiders.Afte...2025
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• PFF suggests Bengals should target free agent safety this spring

Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images It could be a good fit. While the Cincinnati Bengals are searching for their next defensive coordinator, other personnel moves, such as the roster, have started being pondered. The safety room in Cincinnati is an area where the team has targeted each of the last two offseasons. After the failed Nick Scott experiment, the Bengals brough...2025
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• Colts DC Candidates: Lou Anarumo

Cara Owsley/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Find out what ‘The Mad Scientist’ could bring to Indianapolis defensively. The six-year coordinator was once nicknamed ‘The Mad Scientist’ by his players for his efforts against high-powered offenses. Get to know the game-planning savant who isn’t afraid to pivot in-game as he sees fit. Anarumo specializes in coaching defensive ...2025
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• Twitter reactions to Bengals firing Lou Anarumo, Frank Pollack and others

Photo by Melinda Meijer/ISI Photos/Getty Images Big changes to the Bengals coaching staff. The Cincinnati Bengals wasted no time in letting the world know that the last two seasons of non-playoff football were unacceptable. Despite ending this season on a five-game winning streak, everyone remembers how bad the Bengals were when they sat at 4-8 with one of the worst defenses in franchise ...2025
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• Bengals vs. Steelers: 6 Matchups to watch

Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images A handful of literal and figurative matchups that could decide the game on Saturday night. This is it. The Cincinnati Bengals have one last chance to prove they deserve a shot at the postseason. They travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers, who defeated the Bengals in Cincinnati in Week 13 by a score of 44-38. If the Bengals l...2025
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• 4 things we learned from the Giants’ 34-7 loss to the Falcons
2024

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• NFL Draft Combine 2025: Best and worst from defensive backs and tight ends
2025

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• The Atlanta Falcons’ best fits for their 2025 NFL Draft needs
2025

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• Joe Burrow makes it clear he expects Bengals to keep stars in Cincinnati

Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Strong words from the most vocal quarterback the team has had in a long time. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow joined the crew of ESPN’s “First Take” in New Orleans on Thursday morning and had an interesting discussion with Stephen A. Smith and the rest of the panel. When Smith pressed Burrow about the Bengals needing t...2025
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• Speechless
2024

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• Why Lou Anarumo is not the problem on defense

Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Who is Lou? Let’s be honest. When the Cincinnati Bengals hired Lou Anarumo as their defensive coordinator, we had no idea who he was. Now, we know exactly who he is and so does everyone else in the NFL. I don’t know if Anarumo is on the hot seat or not, but I can tell you one thing: He will be a defensive coordinator in the NFL ...2024
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• The Linc - Quinyon Mitchell says he’s confident, not cocky
2024

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• Tuesday Trenches: Signing Stone opens so many doors for Dax Hill and Bengals secondary

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports The Bengals just took the chains off of Dax, and they’ll be better for it. Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals handed the keys of the safety room over to Dax Hill and Nick Scott, who were replacing Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell, both of whom left in free agency. It didn’t take long for the plan to backfire. Dax seemed overwhelmed, and Scott just didn’t p...2024
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• Arrowheadlines: The Chiefs are looking to add a veteran backup quarterback
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Chiefs headlines for Monday, March 6 The latest Chiefs’ free-agency shopping list includes a new backup for Patrick Mahomes | The Athletic According to multiple league sources, the Chiefs are interested in adding a veteran at the position, someone who will compete with Buechele and Oladokun for the role during training camp and the preseason. This spring, t...2023
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• Updated Power Rankings: Are the Cardinals the NFL's best team? Plus, players who need to improve ASAP

OBJ wants to prove he's still a marquee guy, Zach Wilson is looking for momentum in New York and Jessie Bates III hopes for a big finish to his contract year....2021
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• NFL cracks down on fake injuries: Saints, Cam Jordan fined combined $550,000; Jessie Bates III also hit

The league is putting its money where its mouth is...2022
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• No, the Bengals are not trading Tee Higgins
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Speculation is rampant, but the Bengals aren’t budging here. Just because something appears logical, doesn’t make it likely. The NFL world is having a hard time grasping that when it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals possibly trading wide receiver Tee Higgins. “Possibly” doesn’t even feel like the right word. Improbably is much more apt. The latest buzz co...2023
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• Vonn Bell to Bengals, per report

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images Bell was a major part of the Bengals’ two AFC Championship runs. The Cincinnati Bengals are bringing back Vonn Bell. According to James Rapien of All Bengals and Locked On Bengals, the Bengals are in the process of signing Bell after he left the team in the 2023 offseason. It’s reportedly a one-year deal for the 29-year-old safety, who was a recent cap ca...2024
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• Jessie Bates contract drama: Eight potential trade destinations for Bengals' disgruntled star safety
A look at where Bates could end up if Cincinnati shops the veteran...2022
• Mike Hilton continues recruiting spree with Mike Gesicki
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Bengals’ veteran corner is doing his part in bringing talent to Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Bengals added Orlando Brown Jr. on Wednesday night, and they should look to continue the activity into the back half of the week. The team has lost several key pieces in free agency already. Starting tight end Hayden Hurst went to Carolina, as did starting safet...2023
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• NFL free agency 2022: Jessie Bates hopes the Bengals do not place franchise tag on him
Bates is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason...2022
• Bengals' Mike Hilton lobbies for Jessie Bates III to receive a contract extension
Bates was franchise tagged earlier this offseason...2022
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• Boyd is frustrated that Higgins hasn’t gotten a contract extension yet

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images Boyd wants to see Higgins get his deal soon. The Cincinnati Bengals have had a very good offseason in terms of getting new deals with core players. Trey Hendrickson, Logan Wilson, and now Joe Burrow were three players the franchise prioritized getting new deals with before Week 1. They accomplished this, but they’ve still got another major deal to ev...2023
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2. NFL Draft

3. Dallas Cowboys

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1068. Jessie Bates

• The Linc - Quinyon Mitchell says he’s confident, not cocky
2024

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• Tuesday Trenches: Best available free agents for the Bengals to sign
2025

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• Top priorities for the Bengals once Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins deals are signed
2025

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• 8 teams that could trade for Bengals All-Pro Trey Hendrickson
2025

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• Three 2025 NFL Draft prospects to watch for the Colts - Part 3
2025

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• The Atlanta Falcons’ best fits for their 2025 NFL Draft needs
2025

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• NFL Draft 2025 needs for Indianapolis Colts show 4 big weaknesses

Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images These are the positions the Colts need to fill in the NFL Draft. The Indianapolis Colts were one of the biggest disappointments of the 2024 season. With an offense that was chaotic at best and a porous defense, they just missed out on the playoffs once again. Now, with GM Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen under much more sc...2025
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• Tuesday Trenches: Don’t tell us, show us
2025

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• Joe Burrow makes it clear he expects Bengals to keep stars in Cincinnati
2025

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• 2025 NFL free agency: What to like, not like, about QB Sam Darnold
2025

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• Twitter reactions to Bengals firing Lou Anarumo, Frank Pollack and others
2025

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• NFL insider weighs in on Trey Hendrickson; Duke Tobin briefly addresses trade speculation
2025

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• Duke Tobin says Bengals want to extend Trey Hendrickson, but.....

Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images There always seems to be a “but” when it comes to the Bengals. Before the 2024 season, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, fresh off a 17.5 sack season, requested a trade because he felt he wasn’t being paid for what he was producing. Of course, he wasn’t traded, and he played in the 2024 season while leading the ...2025
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• Lou Anarumo names Jordan Battle starter at strong safety

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The rookie gets the nod. The Cincinnati Bengals were faced with a tall task this offseason. Cincinnati saw Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell both leave in free agency, breaking up a safety duo that was as good as any in the league. In the 2022 NFL Draft, the Bengals started that process when they drafted Dax Hill out of Michigan with the 31st overall pick. B...2023
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• Tee Higgins and the Bengals reportedly aren’t close to a contract extension

Photo by Nick Grace/Getty Images Sounds like the Bengals won’t be extending Tee Higgins soon. Joe Burrow’s deal is done. Will Tee Higgins get his next? For pretty much the entire offseason, the belief was the Cincinnati Bengals would prioritize extending Burrow, then do the same with Higgins, who is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract. It took a while to get Burrow’s d...2023
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• NFL Draft Grades: Several national sites give Bengals an A
Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Bengals appear to have a special haul of players coming to the Queen City. The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t have a draft that will awe fans. There’s no Joe Burrow or Ja’Marr Chase joining Cincinnati this upcoming season, but the talent they did get could be incredibly impactful in the near future. NFL analysts seem to agree that the...2023
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• Bengals’ recent success in free agency bodes well for the latest class
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images The Bengals’ hit rate on outside free agents has been outstanding. Everyone is still riding the hype train over the Cincinnati Bengals signing Orlando Brown Jr. to one of the biggest contracts they have ever given an outside free agent. In the wake of that, it is a great time to look back at how well Cincinnati has utilized free agency ...2023
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• No, the Bengals are not trading Tee Higgins
2023

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• Bengals fall just short to Chiefs 23-20 in AFC title game
Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK A tough pill to swallow, but it was a fun ride. The AFC Championship came down to a game-winning field goal, but the Cincinnati Bengals weren’t the team kicking it this time. The Bengals fell one game short of Super Bowl 57 to the Kansas City Chiefs, 23-20. It started tumultuous for Cincinnati’s offense, featuring two pre-snap penalties and...2023
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