The 2025 preseason has been something of a wake-up call for the Cincinnati Bengals‘ defense. They have racked up yards on the ground like there is no tomorrow. In two preseason games, Cincy’s defense gave up 34 points to the Eagles and another 41 to the Colts, with their only win coming against the Commanders, who amassed 6.3 yards per rush on their first two possessions alone (106 yards in six carries, 185 yards overall).

But in all that, Joe Burrow is not panicking. He has witnessed these late-contract extensions go sizzling minutes before Week 1 and is anticipating the same to happen with Trey Hendrickson. The Bengals‘ league defense was the worst in stopping opponents a year ago, surrendering 27.8 points per game in defeats, an NFL record for ineptness in losses. As a result, new coordinator Al Golden eliminated everything down to plain vanilla in preseason plans. Golden says the plan is to avoid surprises in the regular season, but if your run defense has big holes even against backups, everything starts to fall apart.

So, picture the scene this weekend when Trey Hendrickson posted an Instagram bomb, himself wearing a Bengals jersey, and captioned with simply “Proverbs 21:31” (which basically means “The horse is readied for the battle day, but success belongs to the Lord”). No pay day or trade rumor caption, and just faith and preparation. It’s a vivid reminder that while Cincinnati’s offense can outgun anyone, adding Hendrickson’s 17.5 sacks over the last two seasons to the mix could spark a defense that’s looked more like practice drills than Sunday showdowns.

Trey Hendrickson’s loyalty teaser on Instagram isn’t just motivational stuff. For everyone, it hints that contract talks might be heating up behind the scenes. Burrow’s straight-faced reaction after the win against Washington? “These agreements with us have gotten concluded nearer to Week 1… Deadlines prompt action,” Burrow stated as reported by CBS Sports. Now, you need to understand Hendrickson’s presence might signify for Cincinnati’s ground attack ailments, and why that Instagram selfie might be more than the tease we all required.

ESPN analyst thinks Trey Hendrickson can’t solve this problem

You might’ve caught Mina Kimes lighting up ESPN’s First Take with her “red alert” on Cincinnati’s run defense, after Washington’s backups carved out 106 yards and two rushing TDs in the first two drives, she warned, “Red alert. Nine out of 10, at least. It’d be one thing if they looked bad in the preseason, but they were coming off of even an average season. Then we could say, ‘Well, they’re figuring some stuff out, new coaching staff, new players in the lineup.’ They were bad, and they still look bad. And I struggle to see a pathway for them to get significantly better.” In other words, no single edge rusher can plug three levels of gaps by himself.

To know it better, those preseason gaudy rushing numbers weren’t a one-off. Against Washington and Philadelphia, quick-hitting backs beat Cincinnati’s linebackers and safeties at the second level, forcing Trey Hendrickson into one-on-one situations before they reached his lane. Kimes argued that unless coordinator Al Golden finds answers in those areas through scheme adjustments or personnel improvements, the defense will remain compromised regardless of sack numbers.

In the end, getting Trey Hendrickson provides Cincy with their best pass-rush tool, but it doesn’t somehow fix a front seven gashed on every first and second down. If Golden can tighten up the front-line fits and rotations, then Hendrickson’s pressure can find its way into actual stops.