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Cincinnati Bengals DST

Player Outlook
The Bengals were a middle-of-the-pack unit in Fantasy in 2024 and we do not expect much more in 2025. They did spend a first-round pick on Shemar Stewart and added Demetrius Knight one round later, but that is not enough to move the needle for their Fantasy ranking, especially if they can't get Trey Hendrickson's contract dispute resolved. The one thing that might change your mind is that they open the season against the Cleveland Browns. If you are really into streaming defenses, they might not be a bad choice for Week 1. Then again, I would feel much better about it if Joe Flacco doesn't win the starting job for the Browns.

Fantasy News

  • Bengals' Trey Hendrickson: Resumes contract talks with Bengals

    Rotowire
    Hendrickson has resumed communication with the Bengals on his contract and future with the team, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. Hendrickson has been seeking a contract extension this offseason and did not attend Cincinnati's mandatory minicamp, stating that he would not play this season under his current contract. The Bengals granted him permission to seek a trade in March, and he expressed significant frustration with the lack of communication between himself and the team while speaking with reporters in mid-May. Hendrickson remains firm in his desire for a long-term contract extension, per Fowler, but his willingness to reengage looks like a step in a positive direction. As the NFL's 2024 sack leader, Hendrickson is coming off back-to-back seasons with 17.5 sacks, and he is due $15.8 million in base salary for the 2025 campaign, which is the final season of his current contract.
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  • Raiders' Germaine Pratt: Donning silver and black

    Rotowire
    Las Vegas signed Pratt to a one-year, $4.25 million contract Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Pratt was cut loose by Cincinnati on Monday, but it didn't take long for him to find another suitor. After all, he is coming off a season in which he recorded a career-high 143 tackles (80 solo), good for 10th in the NFL in 2024. He projects to start for the Raiders in 2025 and could be one of their leading tacklers if he stays healthy.
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  • Bengals' Trey Hendrickson: Skipping mandatory minicamp

    Rotowire
    Hendrickson is not expected to attend the start of Cincinnati's mandatory minicamp Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Hendrickson has already made it known that he won't play this season without a new contract, so his holdout might extend well beyond minicamp. The 30-year-old pass rusher led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024, his second consecutive season with that exact total. Hendrickson received permission to seek a trade in March, and his decision to hold out could spur organizations to inquire about his availability. He's heading into the final year of his deal with Cincinnati, which positions him for a $15.8 million salary,
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  • Germaine Pratt: Being released by Bengals

    Rotowire
    Pratt is being released by Cincinnati on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Pratt officially requested a trade in February, but the Bengals weren't able to find any suitable partners to this point in the offseason, leading to the longtime starter now being released. Still heading into just his age-29 season, Pratt led Cincinnati with a career-high 143 tackles (80 solo) in 2024 across 17 regular-season appearances, while also logging two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He'll likely be looking for a long-term contract with his next team.
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  • Bengals' DJ Turner: Getting first-team reps

    Rotowire
    Turner (collarbone) was part of Cincinnati's projected first-team lineup during OTAs on Tuesday, WKRC Sports reports. Turner spent the last six games of the 2024 season on the sidelines healing from a broken collarbone, but he's now back on the field for offseason workouts. More promising yet for Turner is that he's drilling as a starter at corner opposite Cam Taylor-Britt. His primary competition for a starting job in 2025 will come from Dax Hill, Josh Newton and Jalen Davis.
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  • Bengals' Logan Wilson: Getting in work at OTAs

    Rotowire
    Wilson (knee) participated during OTAs on Tuesday, Ryan Meyer of the Bengals' official site reports. Wilson finished the 2024 season on Cincinnati's injured reserve list after getting surgery on his knee in December, missing all of the last six games of the year. He now looks to be back in playing shape for the start of offseason workouts. Wilson will be going after a fifth straight year with 100-plus tackles in 2025.
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  • Bengals' Shemar Stewart: Idle due to contract dispute

    Rotowire
    Stewart remains unsigned and is not participating in Bengals offseason workouts due to a dispute over the language in his contract, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The Bengals selected Stewart with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2025 Draft, but the two sides have yet to hammer out the details of his contract, and Stewart isn't taking part in practice or workouts with his new teammates. According to Conway, Stewart's agent is requesting that his client's contract language mirror the Bengals' past two first-round picks. For reference, No. 18 overall pick Grey Zabel signed his contract with the Seahawks last week, so Stewart is losing some important reps. This dispute shouldn't drag deep into the summer, and it would be a major shock if Stewart isn't signed relatively soon. The Bengals are scheduled to kick off OTAs one week from Tuesday.
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  • Bengals' Trey Hendrickson: Won't play without new deal

    Rotowire
    Hendrickson said at Tuesday's voluntary practice session that he will not play this season under his current contract, which has one year remaining and carries a $15.8 million base salary, Ben Baby of ESPN reports. Hendrickson released a statement Monday expressing frustration with a lack of communication from the Bengals regarding a potential contract extension, and he now appears to be escalating his standoff with the team. The reigning NFL sacks leader, who is coming off back-to-back seasons with 17.5 sacks, said Tuesday that the situation has reached a "personal" level, but he also expressed optimism that his relationship with the team could be mended. Cincinnati signed both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to massive four-year deals well in excess of $100 million this offseason, but per Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News, Hendrickson said the team has pushed a shorter contract "pretty hard" in his negotiations. The Bengals' selection of Shemar Stewart at No. 17 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft provides the team some insurance at edge rusher, but Hendrickson's presence on the field will be all but necessary for Cincinnati to field a competitive defense this season. The 30-year-old All-Pro was given permission to seek a trade in March, and there should be no shortage of teams around the league interested in his talents.
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  • Bengals' Trey Hendrickson: Attends voluntary practice

    Rotowire
    Hendrickson is present for Tuesday's voluntary practice session, though he is not participating in drills, Jason Hoffman of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Hendrickson is present at team facilities Tuesday, after having released a statement Monday detailing his dissatisfaction with the Bengals' lack of communication regarding a long-term extension. Speaking with the media during Tuesday's practice, Hendrickson reiterated that he is "very disappointed with the communication" from Cincinnati, per Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News, and per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, the star edge rusher answered "no" when asked whether he would play on his current deal. Hendrickson also said the Bengals have been pushing a short-term extension "pretty hard" during the contract talks that have occurred, Goldsmith reports. The 2024 NFL sacks leader is entering the final year of his current contract and carries a $15.8 million base salary for the 2025 season. He was granted permission to seek a trade back in March.
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  • Bengals' Trey Hendrickson: Frustrated with silence from Cincy

    Rotowire
    Hendrickson released a statement Monday expressing disappointment in the fact that "no communication has taken place" between his representatives and the Bengals since the 2025 NFL Draft, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Hendrickson's statement makes clear his frustration at the current lack of negotiations regarding a long-term extension with Cincinnati and specifies that "the offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level." Relations between the standout pass rusher, who is coming off back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons, and the Bengals are clearly on the trajectory of continual decline. In the wake of the team's decision to sign both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to massive extensions this offseason and to select defensive end Shemar Stewart in the first round of April's draft, it's becoming more difficult to envision a scenario in which Hendrickson suits up for Cincinnati beyond the 2025 season, in which he's set to play out the final year of his current contract on a $15.8 million base salary.
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  • Colts' Joe Bachie: Signs with Indianapolis

    Rotowire
    Bachie signed with the Colts on Wednesday, Joel Erickson of the team's official site reports. Bachie has seemingly recovered from the groin injury that landed him on Cincinnati's injured reserve last December and will now head to Indianapolis. The 27-year-old racked up three tackles (three solo) across 12 games during the 2024 campaign as he saw the majority of his playing time on special teams and will likely have a similar role with the Colts.
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  • Bengals' B.J. Hill: Spotted with boot

    Rotowire
    Hill (foot) was spotted with a boot on his left foot at the Bengals' voluntary workouts Tuesday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports. Hill signed a three-year contract with the Bengals in March after posting 56 total tackles (25 solo), including 3.0 sacks, while also adding four passes defensed over 15 regular-season games with the team in 2024. The defensive tackle is now dealing with an unspecified left foot injury and it's unclear if it'll cause him to miss Cincinnati's OTAs later this month.
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  • Bengals' Dax Hill: Fifth-year option picked up

    Rotowire
    Hill (knee) had his fifth-year option on his rookie contract picked up for $12.682 million by the Bengals on Tuesday, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Hill was set to enter the final year of his contract with Cincinnati, but he'll now stick around through the 2026 campaign. The cornerback was limited to just five contests in 2024, suffering a torn ACL in his right knee in Week 5 versus the Ravens. Hill racked up 25 total tackles (20 solo), including 1.0 sacks, while also adding two passes defensed before getting hurt. He'll now compete with DJ Turner (collarbone) for the No. 2 cornerback spot in the Bengals' secondary alongside Cam Taylor-Britt in 2025.
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  • Bengals' Barrett Carter: Lands with Cincinnati

    Rotowire
    The Bengals selected Carter in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 119th overall. An inside linebacker prospect out of Clemson, Carter was a three-year starter in some excellent Tigers defenses. He can read, react and fire into the backfield with at least 9.5 tackles for loss in each of his years as a starter. Carter isn't a standout athlete but has plenty of high-level experience and can be a contributor in the Bengals' linebacking corps, especially as an insurance policy pending what happens with Germaine Pratt as he enters the final year of his deal.
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  • Bengals' Shemar Stewart: Picked by Cincinnati 17th overall

    Rotowire
    The Bengals selected Stewart in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 17th overall. Stewart (6-foot-5, 267 pounds) is an extremely athletic lineman whose rare physical traits have yet to yield much production. The belief is that Stewart's collegiate production at Texas A&M was so badly muted because he played at a much heavier weight (around 290 pounds) and played with too many run-stopping responsibilities to show off his true potential as an edge rusher. At the lighter 267-pound weight, Stewart logged a 4.59-second 40-yard dash in addition to a 40-inch vertical and 131-inch broad jump -- all of which are easily blue-chip figures. If the Bengals move on from Trey Hendrickson, it would seem to set up Stewart to start as a rookie, but Stewart logged only 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in three years for the Aggies.
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  • Jets' Jay Tufele: Signing with Gang Green

    Rotowire
    Tufele and the Jets agreed to a contract Thursday, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports. Tufele spent the past three seasons with the Bengals after beginning his NFL career with the Jaguars in 2021. He finished the 2024 regular season with 15 tackles (five solo) including 0.5 sacks, and one pass defense across 15 games (three starts). Tufele fortifies the Jets' defensive line and will have the chance to compete for a starting role at defensive tackle alongside Quinnen Williams (hamstring).
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  • Bengals' Cameron Sample: Staying in Cincinnati

    Rotowire
    The Bengals re-signed Sample to a one-year contract Thursday. Sample missed the entire 2024 campaign due to a left Achilles tear suffered during the preseason, so re-signing with the club he's played for since entering the NFL as a 2021 fourth-round pick is sensible. The rotational defensive end will work to get healthy and put forth a solid year in 2025 before preparing to hit free agency again.
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  • Bengals' Marco Wilson: Gets extension with Cincy

    Rotowire
    Cincinnati signed Wilson to a one-year contract extension Wednesday. Wilson played in six games with the Bengals in 2024 after he was waived by New England in the middle of the season, and he played just 30 defensive snaps over those six games. He projects to play a minor rotational role in Cincinnati's defensive backfield again in 2025.
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  • Bengals' Joseph Ossai: Re-signing with Cincinnati

    Rotowire
    Ossai and the Bengals have agreed to a one-year, $7-million deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The move comes after the defensive end recorded career highs in defensive snaps (543), tackles (46), sacks (5.0) and forced fumbles (two). It also comes with fellow defensive end Trey Hendrickson on the trade block. Ossai, who missed his rookie season with a meniscus injury, has started just three of the 47 regular-season games he's appeared in over the last three campaigns, but he might have a chance to start in 2025.
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  • Cardinals' Akeem Davis-Gaither: Joining Arizona

    Rotowire
    Davis-Gaither agreed to a two-year, $11-million contract with the Cardinals on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The linebacker got a multiyear deal after playing on a one-year contract with the Bengals a year ago. In 2024, Davis-Gaither got a chance to start when Logan Wilson went out with a knee injury, and he finished with career highs in tackles (82) and pass breakups (four). He also picked off a pass, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.
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