Bengals Likely In For Quiet Trade Deadline
Sitting in second place in a winnable AFC North, the 3-5 Bengals let an opportunity to make up ground on the division-leading Steelers slip away last week. Hours before the Steelers fell to 4-3 against the Packers on Sunday night, the Bengals dropped a 39-38 shootout to the Jets, who entered the game 0-7.
The Bengals will have a chance to bounce back Sunday against the Bears in their last game before Tuesday’s trade deadline. Despite dealing with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, quarterback Joe Flacco is expected to start.
Regardless of the outcome against Chicago, it appears the Bengals are in for a quiet deadline. They’re “highly unlikely to make a move” to bring in more outside talent after already acquiring Flacco from the Browns last month, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. The Bengals also received a sixth-round pick in the Flacco deal, but they parted with a fifth-rounder in return.
The team took a flier on Flacco in a season-saving effort after losing starter Joe Burrow to a toe injury and seeing backup signal-caller Jake Browning perform poorly in his place. Cincinnati is “extremely hesitant to ever surrender future picks,” Dehner writes, making it unlikely that it will cough up even more draft capital in the next few days.
On paper, a loss to the Bears could make the Bengals more likely to sell. With that in mind, superstar pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, linebacker Logan Wilson, and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt are on the radar of contending teams. The Rams, 49ers, Lions, Colts, and Eagles are among the clubs that have made calls on those players, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. It appears they’ll have to look elsewhere, though.
Hendrickson is a pending free agent who would bring back a quality return in a trade, but Dehner dismisses the possibility of the Bengals dealing him. They’ve shown no willingness to punt a season in early November to acquire future draft choices, per Dehner. That would rule out a Hendrickson trade.
The Bengals have at least given some consideration to parting with Wilson, Albert Breer of SI.com relays. With rookies Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter eating into his playing time, Wilson requested a deal out of Cincinnati last week. He’s probably not going to get his way, though, with Dehner pointing to his pricey contract (he’s under wraps through 2027 on a four-year, $36MM extension) and his role in the Bengals’ defense as reasons why he’ll stay put. There’s a better chance of the Bengals getting rid of Wilson after the season than during it.
Like Hendrickson and Wilson, Dehner expects Taylor-Britt to finish the season in Cincinnati. The free agent-to-be was a healthy scratch in a win over the Steelers in Week 7, but he returned to play 76% of defensive snaps against the Jets. The Bengals still value him as their No. 3 corner over their options.
While a Burrow return sometime in December would be a best-case scenario, the Bengals will likely need to stay in the playoff race for that to become a realistic possibility. For better or worse, it doesn’t appear that their roster will undergo any significant changes in the meantime.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/31/25
Here are Friday’s only minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from IR: DE Cedric Johnson
- Signed from practice squad: QB Sean Clifford
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: S Eric Murray
- Signed from practice squad: WR Austin Trammell
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on IR: S DeShon Elliott, DL Daniel Ekuale (story)
With replacement starting quarterback Joe Flacco still questionable to play this weekend as he deals with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, Clifford makes his way to the active roster to serve as the team’s third, emergency passer behind Flacco and backup Jake Browning.
Bengals QB Joe Flacco Trending Towards Playing
The Bengals’ chances of sticking close enough to the playoff race for an eventual, hopeful Joe Burrow late-season return took a huge hit on Sunday, when the team gave the Jets their first win of the season. Making matters worse, backup quarterback Joe Flacco, who had breathed new life into the team, suffered a shoulder injury in the game that threatened his future availability. According to Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer, barring a setback leading up to Sunday, Flacco is expected to play. 
Following the injury, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor gave the 40-year-old passer a 50-50 chance at recovering in time to play in this weekend’s game. Flacco, though, reportedly “never let his mind think about not playing,” approaching the week with the mindset that his number would be called on Sunday. Essentially, until a point came in which a staffer or his body told him he couldn’t play, his plan was to return to the starting lineup for Sunday.
Taylor and Co. couldn’t function under that same mindset, not after giving him only a 50-50 chance. Jake Browning, the initial replacement starter for Burrow who was unseated after Cincinnati acquired Flacco, was given all the first-team reps in practice on Wednesday and Friday, in order to ensure that he would be ready in the case that Flacco couldn’t go. Flacco had voiced a desire to get some work in at least one practice to see if he could even throw with the shoulder injury. He was a limited participant Thursday, giving his shoulder plenty of time to rest up for Sunday.
“I feel pretty good,” Flacco told the media. “You don’t want to assume you’ll be able to throw and not really know. I wanted to go out there this week and feel good about what was going on.”
The result? Flacco’s analysis up to this point:
“I’ve never really talked about injuries before, so I don’t know what to say. I feel good.”
Taylor seemed to agree, saying that Flacco “did a nice job out there” and that the head coach had seen what he had hoped to see in order to believe Flacco would be able to play on Sunday. Both parties seemed to stop just short of committing to that point, emphasizing that the work over the next two days will be crucial in determining his availability.
Flacco will be QB1 for a walk-through tomorrow, and on Sunday, they’ll have Flacco go through his usual pre-game warmups. If there are no setbacks, the veteran passer will start the game under center for the Bengals. Otherwise, Cincinnati will have to put its fate in Browning’s hands, once again.
Bengals DT McKinnley Jackson Requests Trade Or Release
OCTOBER 31: Head coach Zac Taylor said (via Baby) he and Jackson have engaged in “great conversations” about the situation. He added Pennel’s departure will lead to more opportunities for other players along the defensive line moving forward, so it will be interesting to see if an uptick in usage will be in store for Jackson.
OCTOBER 30: Yet another defender wants out of Cincinnati. Bengals defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson has requested a trade or his release, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby.
The Bengals selected the Texas A&M product in the third round (No. 97) of the 2024 draft. After starting his rookie season on injured reserve with a knee issue, Jackson got into each of the Bengals’ remaining 13 games. He saw 248 of his 299 snaps on defense, and he finished his rookie season with 15 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
Jackson has barely seen the field as a sophomore. He got into six defensive snaps back in Week 5, but he’s otherwise been sidelined, including healthy scratches in six of Cincy’s eight games. As Baby notes, this downtick in playing time coincided with Al Golden taking over for Lou Anarumo at defensive coordinator.
While the Bengals managed Trey Hendrickson‘s very-public push for a new contract (and the corresponding trade rumblings), the team has dealt with a handful of additional requests on defense. Linebacker Logan Wilson requested a trade last week, while veteran defensive tackle Mike Pennel asked for and was granted his release on Tuesday. Pennel has since landed back with the Chiefs.
Jackson’s situation is a bit different than that of Wilson and Pennel considering his lack of track record. While teams could gamble on the DT’s youth and relatively inexpensive rookie contract, Jackson’s best chance of reviving his career elsewhere would be via his Bengals release and a subsequent taxi squad gig.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/30/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Jalen Brooks, TE Messiah Swinson
- Released: CB Jaden Davis
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB Liam Anderson, LB Brian Asamoah
- Released: DE Myles Cole
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Myles Gaskin
- Released: WR Velus Jones
A day after adding Velus Jones and releasing Myles Gaskin, the Seahawks have reversed course. Gaskin had more than 600 rushing yards with the Dolphins back in 2021, but he’s been limited to 26 rushing yards in seven total games since that season. Jones got into five games with the Saints earlier this year, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/25
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: DT Taven Bryan, S Keondre Jackson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed from practice squad: LB Joe Giles-Harris
Los Angeles Chargers
- Practice window opened: LS Josh Harris
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from IR: CB Jason Marshall
- Elevated: CB Isaiah Johnson, TE Hayden Rucci
New England Patriots
- Signed off Dolphins’ practice squad: S John Saunders Jr.
Tennessee Titans
- Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): G Drew Moss
After trading safety Kyle Dugger earlier this week, the Patriots have added some depth at the position, as the team snagged John Saunders Jr. off Miami’s practice squad. The rookie went undrafted out of Ole Miss in this year’s draft, and he quickly found a job with the Dolphins. He’s spent the entire season on Miami’s taxi squad, and now he’s set to make his NFL debut with their division rivals.
Bengals’ Joe Flacco Battling AC Joint Injury
The Bengals have seen their offense climb out of the NFL basement since Joe Flacco‘s first half of action with the team, even as they are only 1-2 with the trade pickup at the controls. Another injury-driven return to Jake Browning, however, is in play.
Flacco is dealing with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. While Zac Taylor said (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.) Flacco could play on minimal practice reps — as he showed during his first week with the team — he did not practice today and is uncertain to play in Week 9 against the Bears.
Flacco left the field briefly Sunday but returned for the Bengals’ last-ditch drive in their loss to the Jets. Finishing with 223 passing yards, Flacco accounted for two touchdown passes and a rushing score in defeat. This came after he delivered a throwback performance to lift the Bengals to a win over the Steelers, narrowing the team’s AFC North deficit. Pittsburgh’s Week 8 loss to Green Bay kept the margin where it is, but the Bengals’ form with Browning could be a break for the struggling Steelers.
Cincy endured three straight blowout losses with Browning, who lost his support in the building ahead of the Bengals’ ultra-rare in-season trade pickup. Just the third player over the past 53 years to be added by the team via trade in-season, Flacco has made a significant difference to the team’s offense. The Bengals lost by a combined 113-37 margin during Browning’s three starts in relief of Joe Burrow.
Flacco confirmed (via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer) he did not ask the Browns to trade him, but the 18th-year quarterback noted team brass approached him to see if he’d be interested in the intra-Ohio transfer. The Browns, who had demoted Flacco for Dillon Gabriel, traded him to the Bengals in a Day 3 pick-swap move in Week 6. This came as the Bengals cast a wide net — which included retired QB Derek Carr — for an emergency Browning replacement.
“Now I don’t know if they would’ve done it anyway, if I wasn’t interested. If I said, ‘No, I really don’t want to do that, guys,’ I don’t know if they would’ve said, ‘OK, yeah, that’s cool, we won’t do it then,’” Flacco said. “But it did seem like Andrew [Berry] was like, ‘Listen, man, we appreciate what you’ve done. Would this be something you’d be open to?’ So we had a conversation about it, for sure.”
Flacco can earn 75K bonuses for Bengals wins in games in which he reaches the 50% snap threshold, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano indicates the team-based incentive does not kick in until a fourth occurrence. This minor bump would not be available to the 40-year-old passer until he wins a fourth game with the team.
The Bengals may be ready to redeploy Burrow by that point, as the superstar starter (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby) has not endured any setbacks on his recovery road. The team did not say how close Burrow is to returning from toe surgery, however. December remains the target window, though Flacco (or Browning) will need to keep the car on the road for that to make sense.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/25
Here are Tuesday’s minor NFL moves as the headlines are taken up by bigger names due to the impending trade deadline:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Tommy Akingbesote
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off 49ers’ practice squad: OLB Trevis Gipson
- Waived: DT Jaden Crumedy
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: DE Austin Booker
- Placed on IR: DL Shemar Turner (story)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: LB Shaka Heyward, C Matt Lee
- Released: DT Mike Pennel
Denver Broncos
- Activated from commissioners/suspended list: LB Dre Greenlaw
- Released: QB Sam Ehlinger
Los Angeles Chargers
- Practice window opened: CB Deane Leonard
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: CB Tre Brown
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: CB Storm Duck (story)
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Browns): CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
- Placed on IR: RB Cam Skattebo (story)
New York Jets
- Waived: WR Brandon Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived (with injury settlement): DT Domenique Davis
Tennessee Titans
- Signed off Packers’ practice squad: CB Micah Robinson
- Signed off Patriots’ practice squad: OLB Truman Jones
- Placed on IR: OLB Ali Gaye
The Bengals cleared out a few roster spots today as Heyward will need about four weeks to work his way back from a hairline fracture in his fibula. Pennel, a 12-year veteran on the interior defensive line, had started to cede his defensive snaps to younger options and found himself falling down the depth chart despite appearing in every game this season. He requested his release from the team, and it was granted.
Similar to when San Francisco brought Greenlaw back from injured reserve, the 49ers are releasing Ehlinger to make room on the 53-man roster. Like last time, the plan is for Ehlinger to remain in Denver via an addition to the practice squad tomorrow.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/25/25
Here are Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow’s slate of games:
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: DT Taven Bryan, S Keondre Jackson
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: OLB Boogie Basham, QB Hendon Hooker
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: LB Joe Giles-Harris
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: DT Sam Kamara, QB Bailey Zappe
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: LB Jordan Turner
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: CB Jaylin Smith
- Elevated: WR Jared Wayne
- Waived: TE Brenden Bates
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: CB Cameron Mitchell, DE Durell Nchami
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: TE Hayden Rucci, CB Kendall Sheffield
New England Patriots
- Elevated: S Richie Grant, RB Terrell Jennings
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Eku Leota
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from IR: WR Darius Cooper
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: DE Trevis Gipson, OL Nick Zakelj
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: QB Connor Bazelak, OLB Mohamed Kamara
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: WR James Proche
Recently named QB2 Shedeur Sanders found his way to the injury report today with a back injury. By elevating Zappe, Cleveland is ensuring Sanders won’t play tomorrow, since in order to have three quarterbacks dressed for gameday, all three passers must be on the 53-man roster. Zappe will back up Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders will likely be in sweats. Similarly in Carolina, with Bryce Young set to sit this week, Hooker has been called up to back up Andy Dalton.
Both Buccaneers quarterbacks, Baker Mayfield and Teddy Bridgewater, were on the injury report this week, though neither received a “questionable” injury designation as result of their ailments. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that both passers are expected to be available, but with Bazelak taking up a spot on the active roster, it seems likely that only one other quarterback will be suited up alongside the practice squad callup. Because Bazelak’s not on the 53-man roster, only two passers can be active. Tampa Bay can still designate Bazelak as the inactive third quarterback, but doing so would seemingly be making this elevation moot.
There is no corresponding move necessary for Philadelphia to add Cooper. The team received a two-game roster exemption after signing veteran defensive end Brandon Graham, so they had an open roster spot.
For Basham in Carolina and Jennings in New England, this will be their third and final standard gameday practice squad elevations. If either of their respective teams want them to play in another game this season, they will need to first be signed to the 53-man roster.
Bengals LB Logan Wilson Requests Trade
Logan Wilson came up as a trade candidate this week, being mentioned as a player who could move after the Bengals reduced his role. Now, Wilson can be added to the growing list of Bengals to have asked to be moved in recent years.
The veteran linebacker has requested a trade, ESPN.com’s Ben Baby reports. Although Wilson has started all seven Cincinnati games this season, rookies Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter have cut into his role. Wilson is tied to a four-year, $36MM contract, a deal that runs through the 2027 season.
Since 2023, the Bengals have received trade requests from Jonah Williams, Tee Higgins, Trey Hendrickson and Germaine Pratt. Not known as being particularly accommodating on the trade or contract fronts, the team gave into none of those asks.
Williams played out his contract year — at right tackle, after the team signed Orlando Brown Jr. — and left as a 2024 free agent. Requesting a trade in March 2024, Higgins played last season on the franchise tag. Although Hendrickson trade drama did not become lead NFL story until this offseason, the All-Pro defensive end submitted his request in 2024. It did not move the needle. Weeks after Pratt requested a trade, the Bengals cut him.
The Pratt release came after the Bengals drafted both Knight (Round 2) and Carter (Round 4). With Wilson still rostered, those selections marginalized Pratt, who is now on his third team of the year (Bengals, Raiders, Colts). Carter has usurped Wilson in the Bengals’ linebacking hierarchy, playing 100% of the team’s defensive snaps over the past two games. Knight has held a steadier role this season, and he played almost every snap over Cincinnati’s past two contests.
A mainstay at linebacker since the Bengals drafted him in the 2020 third round, Wilson played 100% of the team’s defensive snaps in Week 5. Over the past two games, however, his usage has dipped considerably. Wilson played 19.7% of Cincy’s defensive snaps in Week 6 and 45.6% of the plays in Week 7. Al Golden has pivoted to the rookies on his second level, with Zac Taylor reiterating the team’s commitment to the Knight-Carter duo, leaving Wilson as a part-timer. Not long after that switch, the sixth-year veteran is attempting to force the issue.
While the Bengals are famous for not budging in these situations, a report this week indicated they would be open to dealing Wilson. The former Super Bowl starter signed a $9MM-per-year extension during the 2023 offseason, doing so weeks after the Bengals re-signed Pratt. With Lou Anarumo now in Indianapolis, the Bengals changed up at linebacker. Wilson (65 career starts) is tied to a $5.37MM base salary this season.
Just more than $3MM remains on that contract now, and if the Bengals move on just before the Nov. 4 deadline, barely $2.5MM in base salary would remain for 2025. No guarantees are in place, as this is a Bengals contract, beyond this season. That would give a team flexibility with a 29-year-old defender who had been a regular for years in Cincy. Wilson posted four straight 100-plus-tackle seasons, getting to 104 last season despite missing six games, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as a top-25 off-ball LB in 2022 and ’24. He sits 47th on that list this season.