When it rains it pours, and nobody knows that as well as the CIncinnati Bengals in the 2025 offseason.
It's been somewhat of a brutal offseason for the Bengals, because there was the initial excitement of getting wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins signed to long-term extensions, almost immediately followed by the dread of contract issues with Trey Hendrickson and first-round pick Shemar Stewart.
For the longest stretch of the offseason, the Bengals just felt incomplete, but things have taken a dramatic turn for the better in recent days.
Bengals sign Noah Fant after welcoming Trey Hendrickson back
Sources: Former Broncos first-round pick Noah Fant, sent to Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson trade, is expected to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals. pic.twitter.com/48N7glgufF
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 31, 2025
The Bengals recently welcomed Trey Hendrickson back to training camp, where his same contract issues linger on, but he's actually going to be present and not giving money back to the organization in the meantime.
With Hendrickson back in the fold, the Bengals have their best defender in place, and the news of Hendrickson returning came on the heels of Shemar Stewart ending his rookie contract drama and coming back into the fold.
All of a sudden, the Bengals got a lot better on the field defensively, but they apparently weren't done spending money to help out the offense. The Bengals reportedly added tight end Noah Fant, a former first-round pick by the Denver Broncos who spent the last three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
Fant's decision to sign with the Bengals is a pretty shocking one, especially considering he took a visit to the Miami Dolphins, who just recently traded away starting tight end Jonnu Smith. The Bengals re-signed Mike Gesicki earlier this offseason to a three-year deal worth $24 million, so Fant must be coming to Cincinnati to play a bit more of the in-line tight end role, which he can do a solid job at.
The Bengals have a star-studded cast offensively, to say the least. The fact that a player of Fant's caliber is going to be at best the fourth or fifth-best option in the passing game is a wild spot for them to be in, but it's another indicator of this team really taking a major turn for the better in recent days.
The Bengals are a living example of the scene from Dumb and Dumber where Harry tells Lloyd, "Just when I think you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and pull a stunt like this...and totally redeem yourself!"
The offseason has not only been salvaged, but turned around completely.