The Cincinnati Bengals have been dropping the ball with a couple of contracts. Who are the winners and losers from this giant mess?
Honestly, right now, the momentum feels like both Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart will not be on the field come Week 1. The Bengals cheap ownership and front office have totally blown this thing and they are running out of time to make it right.
As this situation continues to unfold, have there been any winners and losers emerging?
Biggest winners and losers from the Bengals' contract standoffs
Winner: Myles Murphy, DE
With Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart potentially not being in the picture at some points in 2025, that could open up more opportunities for Myles Murphy, the Bengals first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Still just 23, Murphy has not hit his stride and has actually only amassed three sacks, 40 tackles, four tackles for loss, and seven QB hits in his first two years in the NFL.
Loser: Bengals front office and ownership
Isn't this obvious? The Cincinnati Bengals front office and ownership continue to be among the worst in the NFL. They're toying around with these contracts and just don't seem to have a clue how to run an NFL franchise. Even beyond Hendrickson and Stewart, the offensive line still needs work and even the defense could use another addition.
This could be another lost year for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Winner: Early-season Bengals opponents
The Bengals face the Browns, Jaguars, and Vikings to open up the 2025 NFL Season, and the earlier opponents are the most likely to not have to deal with either Trey Hendrickson or Shemar Stewart. Now yes, they could always get one or both of these contracts done, but what if they don't? This is especially true with Hendrickson, and since he's their best defensive player, a contract standoff lasting into the 2025 NFL Season would be the best-case scenario for Cincy's early-season opponents.
Loser: The rest of the defense
The Bengals defense ends up being a big loser here in this situation, as games in the NFL are won and lost in the trenches, and not having two key players along the defensive line is just not ideal at all. Al Golden is the defensive coordinator, and I am sure he didn't sign up for this nonsense. We'll see if the front office can figure these contracts out as we get closer to the 2025 NFL Season, but neither of them seem to be close at this point.