The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for playing hard-nosed, AFC North football. It is one of the toughest divisions in all of football as every team finished the 2023 season above .500, and at least two teams have made the playoffs from the division in each of the last five seasons. The division is full of competitors, as the Baltimore Ravens are obvious contenders in the current landscape of the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals have a high-powered offense, but the organization needs to figure out what to do defensively. The Cleveland Browns have an extremely talented roster, but injuries and front office decisions have held the team back in recent years.
The Steelers have certainly been the most consistent team within the division, which isn't always a good thing. Every other team in the AFC North has won a playoff game since Pittsburgh last won one at the end of the 2016 season, which has been a major talking point for the fan base in recent years. The Bengals entered the 2025 offseason with a lot of uncertainty about the team. Both Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase needed contract extensions, as did star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
There was a time when it seemed like there was no way the Bengals would be able to extend all three players. Cincinnati is notorious for being one of the cheaper organizations in football, but the franchise has already reached agreements on new deals for both Chase and Higgins. Many believe Hendrickson will be traded, but NFL insider Dianna Russini believes otherwise, which she said on the most recent episode of her podcast Scoop City.
"We saw what they [Bengals] did in the draft, so most people I think were looking at them drafting Shemar Stewart as this is the end of the Trey Hendrickson era in Cincinnati," Russini said. "Zac Taylor came out and was like essentially shooting that down, like this doesn't mean anything. Just supplying the needs on the roster. I did a little digging on it, and I'm getting really good vibes coming out of Cincy that they are going to try to get a deal done with Trey."
According to Russini, the vibes are high within the Bengals organization when it comes to the chances of them inking an extension with Hendrickson, but if the situation continues to be unresolved, he could be traded. Her outlook on the scenario made it seem like a deal would get done eventually, even though the organization already spent a ton of money on its premier wide receiver duo.
Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks during the 2024 season, and he now wants to be paid like it. He has one year left on his current contract where he is making just over $18.5 million in 2025, and he wants an extension signed before he steps on the field again. It is fair to assume he wants to be paid in the same area as Myles Garrett, who signed a deal worth $160 million.
If a deal cannot come to fruition, Hendrickson will more than likely be traded away, which would give the Steelers one less star defender to worry about within the division.
Steelers Are Going Through Something Similar With TJ Watt
TJ Watt is another edge rusher who needs a new deal. He is under contract through the 2025 season, and he wants an extension. The organization could have extended during the 2024 offseason, which would have likely been much cheaper versus trying to do it now, but the franchise decided to wait. That in essence is starting to look like it was the wrong move. Pittsburgh usually gets these types of deals done during August as the organization does not conduct contractual business during the season.
The Steelers are in a much better spot financially than the Bengals are, so it is much more likely that a deal with Watt gets done than a deal with Hendrickson, regardless of Russini's reporting.
