The Cincinnati Bengals are marred in contract disputes as training camp arrives, which is just a great way to turn the vibes around and restore your franchise to contending status. Of course that's not actually the case. Training camp is on the horizon and Cincinnati still hasn't extended All-Pro defensive tackle Trey Hendrickson, nor have the Bengals signed first-round pick Shemar Stewart to his rookie contract. Tensions are running high as a result.
GM Duke Tobin needs to start getting things done, lest this drama bleed closer and closer to the regular season. The Bengals' front office has not entirely stalled, however, despite appearances. Desmond Ridder inked a contract with the Bengals on Sunday afternoon. He will presumably compete with Jake Browning in camp for a chance to emerge as Joe Burrow's primary backup. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero broke the news.
Former #Falcons starting QB Desmond Ridder is signing with the #Bengals, per source. Some experienced competition behind Joe Burrow. pic.twitter.com/1cbWPCTV2W
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 20, 2025
While Ridder as your backup quarterback is a totally fine move, it doesn't really distract from the gaping void on defense. Cincinnati already struggles to generate stops. Hanging their best pass-rusher out to dry and quibbling over guarantees with a first-round talent like Stewart just feels pointless, bordering on reckless.
The Bengals need to get their ship in order and start shelling out a few dollars where necessary to keep this core in tact and, ideally, to build upon it.
Trey Hendrickson, Shemar Stewart are right to be frustrated with Bengals
Both Hendrickson and Stewart have expressed their exasperation at various points this offseason. Hendrickson, who shares a deep bond with his teammates and the city, no-showed at mandatory minicamp and laid bare his frustrations with the media months ago. Stewart has gone so far as to work out at Texas A&M and even float a potential return to school. That was a pure leverage ploy, but it speaks to the desperation to get a deal done.
Both Hendrickson and Stewart would love nothing more than to put on pads and helmets and gear up for training camp. Alas, until the front office is willing to budge and stop pinching pennies, these conflicts will go on. Cincinnati has always been afraid to run up the bill, but this age of player empowerment has put an especially harsh spotlight on just how cheap the Bengals front office is.
To their credit, the Bengals did hand massive extensions to Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The Cincinnati offense will be explosive for years to come. But an inability to score points is not what's keeping the Bengals out of contention. It's a porous defense — one the front office seems awfully reluctant to maintain, much less improve.
Desmond Ridder signing with Bengals is special despite all the noise
While the ongoing contract holdouts for Hendrickson and Stewart appear destined to linger, we can appreciate for a moment how special Ridder's arrival is. Not because he will help much on the football field, but because it's a homecoming. Ridder spent his entire college career in Cincinnati, where he led the Bearcats to remarkable heights. He finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting as a senior.
Ridder's NFL career has been a slog, but returning to the Queen City could give him a boost in energy and perspective. We shouldn't expect to see much of Ridder unless Burrow has the misfortune of missing time, but if the fourth-year quarterback can put together a strong camp and earn rave reviews in the locker room, this could be exactly what Ridder needs to save his career. There are few better offensive setups for a quarterback than Dan Pitcher's in Cincinnati.