The Cincinnati Bengals are struggling this year. They hoped to get the 4th win of their 2025 season, but lost the matchup against the NY Jets by just 1 point. While the 39-38 score was the final highlight, one more player worried the fans. DE Trey Hendrickson didn’t play the entire game.

Just after halftime, during a timeout at the 13:23 mark in the 3rd quarter, they listed him ‘out of the game’ with a hip/oblique injury. “He’s trying to play through the hip issue, re-aggravated again, and could not finish. And anytime you try and come back early and you don’t finish, it is a longer absence,” injury specialist David J. Chao said while talking about the DE’s recovery. It means Trey Hendrickson is also out for an extended time.

Chao then also made an interesting comparison. He claimed that the SF 49ers also tried the same process with their starting QB, Brock Purdy. He suffered a turf toe injury in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. The Niners rushed his recovery journey and started him in the week 4 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. But he re-aggravated his injury and has missed 4 games since then.

“I’m not comparing a Brock Purdy turf toe to a Trey Hendrickson hip/oblique injury, but the bottom line is Brock Purdy tried to play in week three, it didn’t work out, and he’s missed multiple weeks. That might be the pattern with Trey Hendrickson here,” the doctor explained.

If that happens with the Bengals, they will be in even bigger trouble. After their bye week 10, they have a tough schedule. The Bengals will play against the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 11, the New England Patriots in week 12, and the Buffalo Bills in week 14. They have already lost 5 games. Head coach Zac Taylor could not afford any more losses. If it happens, it would mean they will not play the playoffs this year again, marking it their 3rd season without playoffs.

Overall, it is a bad situation for the AFC North franchise.

Trey Hendrickson’s team lost against the Jets

With 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Bengals took a 14-point lead. But they blew it all away, losing by 38-39.

Justin Fields finally led the New York Jets offense with an efficient passing performance. He completed 21 of 32 passes for 244 yards and one touchdown without any interceptions or sacks. Breece Hall added a passing touchdown on a short four-yard completion. On the other hand, Bengals QB Joe Flacco completed 21 of 34 attempts for 223 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked once but did not throw any interceptions.

In the rushing game, RB Breece Hall was the standout performer for the Jets. He ran 18 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns. RB Isaiah Davis added 65 yards on seven carries, while Justin Fields contributed 31 yards on 11 rushes. The Jets finished with 254 total rushing yards (the most the Jets have produced in a game since 2021) and two touchdowns.

For the Bengals, RB Samaje Perine led the rushing attack with 94 yards and one touchdown on nine carries. RB Chase Brown added 73 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries, while Joe Flacco ran for a short-yard touchdown to extend their ground success. The Bengals scored a total of 3 TDs for 181 rushing yards.

In receiving, WR Tyler Johnson was the Jets’ leading target with three receptions for 64 yards and one touchdown. The Jets’ quarterbacks spread the ball to 9 different players, showing balanced distribution. Bengals ace WR Ja’Marr Chase led the Bengals’ receiving group with 12 catches for 91 yards on 19 targets. WR Tee Higgins added 44 yards and one touchdown.

Overall, Trey Hendrickson’s absence in the second half hurt them in the final moments. That’s why he matters!