The Cincinnati Bengals were scheduled to be on the road at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday for a critical AFC North divisional clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Early in the first quarter, their defense gave the Steelers a 7-0 lead. In light of this, wide receiver Tee Higgins’ mom was quick to assign the blame.

“Here defense go with their bulls***,” she wrote.

The Bengals are currently sitting at 3-6 following their bye week, and the Steelers are at 5-4 after suffering a 25-10 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10. Soon, the match had a change in the scoreline, making it 6-7. By then, Camilla Stewart, the outspoken mother of Higgins, had already taken to X to express her frustration with the team’s historically dysfunctional defensive unit under defensive coordinator Al Golden.

The Bengals defense stands as one of the worst-performing units in NFL history. They have allowed 300 points through nine games, equating to 33.3 points per game, the most by any team since the 1966 New York Giants. According to FOX Sports’ defensive statistics, the Bengals’ total defense has allowed 426.6 yards per game, which places them last in the NFL rankings.

Even their rushing defense is at the last, allowing 166.4 rushing yards per game. Al Golden’s hiring was meant to be a potential turning point for the Bengals. After three seasons at Notre Dame, where he built a top-four scoring defense in college football and led the Irish to the National Championship Game in 2024, Golden was brought to Cincinnati to lead a defense ravaged by years of poor drafting and personnel moves.​

However, the 2025 Bengals defense has rendered all of that pedigree irrelevant. But there is more than a fundamental issue plaguing Cincinnati’s defense, a problem that runs deeper than coaching strategy.

Al Golden faces rising heat as defensive turmoil hits a breaking point

At the center of brewing internal conflict sits all-pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson, whose contract situation has devolved into a deeply personal battle with the franchise. After recording eight quarterback hits and four sacks through seven appearances in 2025 despite managing a hip injury, Hendrickson has felt systematically undervalued by the organization.

The 30-year-old edge rusher, who signed a four-year, $60 million deal in 2021 when free agency opened opportunities, finds himself at a critical juncture with his one-year extension set to expire at season’s end.​ His relationship with head coach Zac Taylor, which Hendrickson acknowledged has “turned personal,” adds another layer of dysfunction to an already fractured locker room.

The offensive front already seem to be losing their patience. During the Bengals’ Week 9 collapse against the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati scored 42 points, enough to win most games, yet lost 47-42. Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was caught on microphones delivering a profane one-word assessment as he exited the field: “One f****** stop”.

While Chase later attempted to walk back his criticism, claiming he would “stay in his lane” and not criticize defenders, his initial frustration revealed the mounting tensions. One thing is certain: if this defense doesn’t find answers soon, the Bengals will lose control of a season already slipping away.