Bengals have cemented offseason loser status with recent contract issues

The Cincinnati Bengals have easily cemented themselves as offseason losers with the recent contract issues they have been dealing with.

The old, outdated, and cheap Bengals franchise really had a chance to take a step forward this offseason with their team. However, the recent contract impasses they have been dealing with all offseason have truly turned them into the clear offseason losers.

Some people might not agree with the 'offseason winners and losers' schtick, but it's pretty clear to see that the Bengals have not done themselves any favors. Both Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart are needing contracts, and while Hendrickson's situation is a bit more simple, Stewart's is not.

The Bengals are clearly offseason losers in 2025

Tom Pelissero offers a great breakdown of this Shemar Stewart-Bengals situation, and no matter where you fall on the issue, this is precisely what is going on from a neutral lens:

The other DE, Trey Hendrickson, simply wants a raise, but Stewart's situation seems to be a bit more complicated. One of the notable things here with Stewart is that he does have the opportunity to not play for the Bengals, sit out a year, and re-enter the NFL Draft next year. This would effectively mean the Bengals wasted a first-round pick.

This would be an unprecedented even, but it's on the table, and we do know that Trey Hendrickson seems pretty dug-in on his contract demands, and with the way things are trending, it does not seem like either player will be getting a contract before Week 1.

Somehow, this franchise was able to get done two major extensions with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but it honestly seems like they should have traded Higgins and used that money to extend Hendrickson and perhaps sign another free agent or two.

The Bengals front office has put on a 'masterclass' on how to not run an NFL franchise, and it's frankly pathetic.