The Cincinnati Bengals rarely make a trade at the deadline, which is why it was somewhat surprising that a trade was reported on Tuesday when they (briefly) acquired Arnold Ebiketie from the Eagles.
However, the trade seems to have dissolved behind the scenes after the team realized the deal would also cost them a third-round compensatory pick they are hoping to receive from Trey Hendrickson signing with the Ravens. Then, for the rest of the deadline, no more moves were made, although it is unknown
if any more trades were attempted or if they elected to stand pat once the Ebiketie deal fell through.
The attempted trade for Ebiketie, though, is a clear indicator that the Bengals are not happy with the depth of their defensive end room. Cashius Howell is on IR for an unknown amount of time, and Shemar Stewart is getting few snaps and was even a healthy inactive for a game.
With all of that, the failed trade, and no more trade possibilities, the Bengals could target the position through one of the free agents still available on the market, so let’s take a look at the top available defensive ends.
Joey Bosa
The 31-year-old Bosa was one of the top edge rushers in the NFL for most of his career; he last played in Buffalo in 2025 on a one-year, $12 million deal. In the offseason, he was in the discussion for many fanbases, but no rumored meetings or potential signings popped up, and in the summer it was hinted he may have even quietly retired, with Adam Schefter saying he may have played his final snap.
However, in the last month there has been more buzz about him possibly coming back and joining a team for a run to the Super Bowl, mainly his previous team, the Bills, or joining his brother Nick Bosa in San Francisco.
It is not impossible to imagine, though, a world where he wants to join his close friend Joe Burrow in Cincinnati for a title run as well, and the Bengals should not hesitate to call and see if it is possible.
Leonard Floyd
The 34-year-old Floyd is another older pass rusher who was productive relatively recently, now getting a lot of buzz as a potential addition for teams looking to make a Super Bowl push. On a one-year, $10 million deal in 2025, Floyd had a decent year and can still get involved as a pass rusher.
The Bengals should be a desirable destination for any free agent edge rushers with their talented offense and impactful interior, giving edge rushers a lot of one-on-one matchups in obvious passing situations. As a rotational pass rusher, Floyd would fit exactly what the Bengals need.
Haason Reddick
The 32-year-old Reddick was one of the best pass rushers in the league for several years and was a double-digit sack player with Philadelphia. His production in recent years has really taken a nosedive, but the Bengals could sign him with the hope that he has fresh legs, not playing most of the year, and could be effectively deployed in a limited capacity to keep him fresh.
If Reddick could find something even close to his 2023 form, he could be extremely impactful.
Yetur Gross-Matos
The youngest player on the list by a long shot, 28-year-old Yetur Gross-Matos signed a two-year deal with the 49ers in free agency in 2024. During that contract, though, he missed roughly half of his games with the team and wasn’t a consistent performer in the games he did play in.
Gross-Matos did have flashes, and with him now either healthy or very close to it after a knee injury last year, he could be one of the more intriguing options, since he is still young and could have several years of impactful football ahead of him.
The Bengals have quite a few options available if they want some fresh legs and some help in the pass-rushing department. If they were willing to spend a sixth-round pick, they should be more than willing to spend a few million dollars if it is the difference-maker in getting the Super Bowl win.
What free agent defensive end would you target?
