To say that the Cincinnati Bengals are staring at a crossroads in 2026 is probably something of an understatement. Things have been going downhill for the last couple of years, and most of the blame for that falls on the defense.
Where do we start? The defensive line has been porous, to say the least. The linebackers are young and are frequently out of place. The cornerbacks have been inconsistent, at best, and the safeties have been nothing short of a disaster.
It didn’t have to be that way. Not too long ago, the defensive line was one of the strengths of the Bengals. Then Cincinnati watched Larry Ogunjobi slide to the rival Steelers in 2022 and allowed DJ Reader to jump to the Detroit Lions after the 2023 season.
Trey Hendrickson arrived in Cincinnati in 2021 and has been the face of the pass rush for the Bengals ever since. But he could not do it by himself. Cincinnati grabbed edge rusher Joseph Ossai in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft and took defensive end Cam Sample in the fourth. Then the Bengals made defensive end Myles Murphy their first-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
For the most part, it didn’t work. Hendrickson recorded 14 sacks in his first season in Cincinnati, then eight the following season. He recorded 17.5 sacks in 2023 and led the league in sacks in 2024 with another 17.5-sack season, during which he was named the runner-up to the league’s defensive MVP. Hendrickson started with four sacks in the first five games of 2025 before injury derailed his season.
Ossai had 3.5 sacks his rookie season, then followed that with an injury-plagued 2022 in which he recorded only one sack. He rebounded with five sacks over the last seven games of the 2024 season and has five sacks so far this year.
In 2024, Cincinnati recorded 36 total sacks over 17 games, and Hendrickson and Ossai were responsible for 22.5 of them. So far this season, the team has recorded 20 sacks and Hendrickson and Ossai are responsible for nine of those.
Both Hendrickson and Ossai are unrestricted free agents after this year, and there is still no indication whether either will be back.
In late August, Hendrickson and the Bengals ended a years-long standoff with a restructured one-year contract worth up to $30 million. But it offered little long-term security.
Still, it was a chance for the 30-year-old Hendrickson to prove that he still belongs among the league’s elite. Unfortunately, injury cut his season short. The Bengals were counting on getting big-time production from Hendrickson before having to make a long-term decision. That didn’t work out either.
Ossai re-signed with the Bengals in March on a one-year deal worth around $6.5 to $7 million. With Hendrickson out, Ossai has been able to carve out a more meaningful role. With Hendrickson sidelined, Ossai’s snaps have increased. In recent games, he has shown flashes of pass-rush effectiveness and has brought energy off the edge.
Ossai has not been able to match a healthy Hendrickson’s production, but he offers something Hendrickson does not – youth and cost-efficiency. And that may make him very appealing to a Bengals’ ownership that needs to balance cap space, roster needs and long-term planning.
As we come to the end of another lost season, there are three plausible storylines that are beginning to emerge where Hendrickson and Ossai are concerned.
1. Both return
In this scenario, the Bengals either place the franchise tag on Hendrickson or re-sign him to another short-term deal. Ossai, meanwhile, re-signs on a modest extension and stays on as the No. 2 pass rusher, giving Cincinnati a blend of reliability and upside, and allowing the Bengals to maintain pressure on opposing QBs.
2. Ossai steps up, Hendrickson moves on
The Bengals could easily decide to let Hendrickson move on, prioritizing long-term sustainability over short-term star power. Ossai is younger and cheaper and could take on a larger role, giving the Bengals the ability to invest elsewhere. The defense would complete its transition from being built around a high-paid veteran to a younger, cost-controlled core.
3. Both exit, Bengals rebuild edge corps
If the season ends poorly and the defense continues to struggle, both Hendrickson and Ossai could be allowed to depart. Age and cost are working against Hendrickson, while Ossai has yet to achieve star status. The Bengals could turn to Murphy and hope to strengthen the edge via free agency or the draft.
The decisions the Bengals make in the coming offseason will reverberate beyond just defensive statistics.
For Hendrickson, it’s about legacy and security, about turning elite seasons into long-term financial and professional stability. For Ossai, it’s a chance to break out from a rotational role to that of a meaningful contributor or starter.
For the Bengals, it’s about identity. Are they satisfied with the way things are, or are they going to move on to a sustainable roster built around youth, value, and flexibility? Cap room, roster composition, injury risk, and the overall defensive plan will drive this decision. And how they answer will likely define the next chapter in Cincinnati’s story.
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