The Cincinnati Bengals elected to sit still at the 2023 NFL trade deadline.
Not that it falls into shocking territory. The Bengals don’t like to trade future assets to fix their current situation and stuck to their strategy here.
Of note, one report said the team was getting interest around Tee Higgins, but of course, refused. Trading him was never a consideration last offseason and wasn’t now.
As noted here and many other places, the team going to get help at running back, tight end and even an extra pass-rusher would have made sense. The offense has yet to see a non-Joe Mixon running back step up and tight end has been a disaster. Defensively, keeping Trey Hendrickson fresh for the playoffs is a priority, too.
None of this is to say the team wasn’t behind the scenes trying to make a deal or two and things can fall apart very quickly. But the lack of any sort of move at all — especially while teams with Super Bowl hopes such as the 49ers acquired Chase Young — won’t sit well with many fans.
