The Bengals left Sunday with a win, but the edge-rush picture changed fast. Cashius Howell went down with a right wrist injury that will require surgery in the 46-36 overtime victory over Tennessee, and Cedric Johnson also exited with a left ankle injury. With that kind of hit to the defensive end group, Cincinnati has a real reason to scan the market before the deadline.
The clock is already ticking. The NFL trade deadline lands Nov. 10 at 4 p.m.
ET, and the Bengals have time to sort out how much help they want to add around Boye Mafe, who now leads the team with 5.5 sacks. A veteran addition could help keep the pass rush steady if the injuries linger, while also giving defensive coordinator Al Golden more ways to mix and match down the stretch.
One name that fits the “big swing” category is Khalil Mack. He’d bring experience and immediate juice, but the path to landing him won’t be easy. The Chargers are 0-7, Mack is on an expiring contract, and the Chicago Bears are believed to be interested as well.
Mack is on a one-year, $18 million deal, which means Cincinnati would be renting him unless it worked out an extension. That kind of setup could still make sense for a team looking for help right now while continuing to bring along younger defensive ends.
In that role, he’d line up opposite Mafe and give Golden another weapon in obvious passing situations. The question, as always, is whether the draft compensation matches the remaining salary.
A more expensive but longer-term play would be Josh Sweat. For the Bengals, that kind of move would mean more than a short-term patch. The 29-year-old put up a career-high 12 sacks in 2025 and is under contract through 2028.
The hurdle is the price. PHNX’s Johnny Venerable reported that Arizona wants a high Day 2 pick for Sweat, who reportedly asked for a trade after Jonathan Gannon’s dismissal.
Cincinnati would have to decide whether that kind of return is worth it for a proven edge rusher who could fit alongside Mafe and with Dexter Lawrence causing problems inside. If the Bengals see Sweat as part of the plan beyond 2026, the fit makes more sense; if they’re only shopping for injury insurance, that reported asking price gets hard to justify.
Then there’s Uche, the lower-cost route. His one-year contract is worth roughly $1.4 million, and PFF listed him among its potential trade candidates in October.
Uche has two sacks this season, including one against New England on Sunday. The Bengals already saw him in their Week 5 win over Miami, so there’s at least some familiarity there. If Howell and Johnson are back quickly, Uche could still deepen the rotation without forcing Cincinnati into a major financial commitment, as long as Miami’s asking price reflects that kind of supporting role.
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Bengals Suddenly Face A Trade Deadline Question About Fixing The Offense
As the trade deadline approaches, the Bengals are being pulled into a familiar kind of conversation: whether a midseason move could help jump-start an offense that has not looked quite right. One analyst has floated the idea of Cincinnati pursuing a running back upgrade, and the discussion has gained a little traction because it is tied to the kind of roster fix teams often consider when they think they are close enough to justify a bold swing.
The catch is that any such move would come with real financial complications and a tricky fit within the way the Bengals want to run their offense. The idea is still speculative, but it has not been dismissed out of hand because the same analyst was right on a previous trade prediction, which is enough to make this one worth watching as the deadline nears. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Linked To Veteran Move Their Defense May Still Need
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One speculative scenario has the Bengals looking at a short-term upgrade from Los Angeles, where an experienced corner on an expiring deal could fit the bill. The appeal is obvious: a player with ball skills and interception history who might not cost much in draft capital, while giving Cincinnati another option as it tries to hold its place in the playoff race. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Linked To A Trade Debate Their Offense May Not Need
The Bengals keep getting mentioned in trade chatter as teams around the league sort through their own needs, and the latest conversation centers on whether Cincinnati should add another receiver even with its offense already built around high-end passing production. The idea is less about desperation than fit, since the Bengals have a passing game that can support another weapon, and the discussion has naturally spilled into how much help the current wideout group actually needs.
Josh Downs is the name drawing the most attention, with the Colts receiver attracting interest from several contenders and standing out as a young, productive option after being a third-round pick in 2023. Cincinnati has also been loosely tied to the broader market at receiver while being viewed as an unlikely destination for Jonathan Taylor, and the real question is whether the Bengals would see enough value in another pass-catcher to keep pushing in that direction. [Read more 🡒]