Free agency officially begins on March 11th this year. A pair of Bengals have landed inside the top 50 of the CBS Sports list.
First up, they had Trey Hendrickson listed as the second best free agent expected to hit the market this year. They had this to say about Hendrickson:
Hendrickson and the Bengals likely should have parted ways last offseason after failed contract extension talks following him producing 17.5 sacks in both 2023 and 2024 (led the league in 2024), but the divorce is likely happening now. He underwent core muscle surgery that cut his 2025 season short after seven games, but he’s been one of the best pass rushers in football since becoming a Bengal. Hendrickson is only the fifth player since sacks became an official, individually tracked statistic in 1982 to produce 17-plus sacks in consecutive seasons.
The second Bengals player on this list was backup quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco was the 49th ranked player.
Joe Flacco kept the Bengals’ offense mostly afloat in Joe Burrow’s absence in 2025, throwing for 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions in nine games, including six starts. His arm is much more live than 44-year-old Philip Rivers’ arm, and Flacco could be looking to continue to play ball in 2026. He could be one of the most coveted backups/spot starters at the quarterback position in free agency.
The people at ESPN put out a list of their top 50 potential free agents, as well. Topping their list was Trey Hendrickson. The 31-year old pass rusher is going to be highly sought after when free agency begins. As of right now, a reunion with the Bengals feels unlikely.
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