Injured Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) walks on the field after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. The Bengals won, 33-31. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the top options in free agency for the Bengals will be the seventh-ranked overall player set to hit the market in the mind of Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox. There, Denver Broncos edge John Franklin-Myers gets listed as a fit for the Bengals:

Trey Hendrickson isn't going anywhere. The Cincinnati Bengals ultimately chose to hold onto the star defensive end following Tuesday's trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET.

The Bengals made a deal on the Nov. 4 trade deadline day but not the blockbuster some pundits called for, which was to part ways with Hendrickson, one of the best pass rushers in recent years. Instead, the 4 p.m. deadline came and went Nov. 4 and Hendrickson was not traded.

Jacksonville Jaguars standout Devin Lloyd, the 27th pick in 2022, is the fifth-best projected free agent in 2026 by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, who lists the Bengals as the top fit:

Now that the NFL trade deadline has passed, the Cincinnati Bengals are no longer able to make any trades for the rest of the season. Cincinnati traded linebacker Logan Wilson to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a seventh-round pick and opted not to move Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson to another team.

Cincinnati’s freefall continued on Sunday. They won their first two games of the season, but lost superstar quarterback Joe Burrow after Week 2. Since then, the Bengals have won just once. They are now 3-6 and have fallen to third in the AFC North. Currently, only the 2-6 Cleveland Browns are below Cincinnati in the division.

Trey Hendrickson was the top point of speculation for the Bengals going into the NFL trade deadline. But the Bengals have instead elected to stick with the current roster in the hopes of winning games in a middling AFC, for better or worse.

The Bengals have made a slew of draft mistakes that have contributed to them having the worst defense in the NFL in 2025.

The Cincinnati Bengals have been without their franchise quarterback for months now. When will he return to the lineup?