Chicago Bears catch a huge break on the Bengals' Week 9 injury report

One of the league's best pass-rushers is set to miss Chicago's upcoming game against Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates as time winds down in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 1 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. The Bengals begin the season with a 17-16 win over the Browns. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Trey Hendrickson is listed as doubtful on the Bengals' final injury report leading up to the game against Chicago on Sunday. He is recovering from a hip injury that sidelined him two weeks ago against Pittsburgh (and was re-injured against the Jets last week).

Bengals EDGE Trey Hendrickson (hip) doubtful for Week 9.

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 31, 2025

It's a huge break for the Bears, as few players are as integral to the success of their respective defensive line as Hendrickson is to Cincinnati's front. Their front four struggles to get any push without him in the lineup. In fact, they haven't gotten a single sack with him hurt for much of the past two weeks.

Hendrickson's four sacks are twice as many as Joseph Ossai and no one else on their defense has taken opposing QBs down more than one-and-a-half times this year. They're not an imposing front even with the four-time Pro Bowler in the lineup. Without him, they hardly have a prayer.

What does this mean for Chicago? Well, for starters, Caleb Williams should have more time than he's accustomed to (which is saying a lot considering how well the offensive line has performed as of late). I know the Ravens defense wasn't exactly lighting up the stat sheet before last week's game, but there were signs that they turned the corner in recent weeks. They held the Rams' high-octane offense to 17 points before their Bye Week, and Miami's offense was practically booed out of their own stadium last night.

The Bengals are still far from being an easy opponent. Their offensive skill players rival any offense in the league (especially at full strength). However, there's really no sugarcoating how bad they are on the defensive side of the ball (even at full strength). We saw the Bears' offense hang 31 points on Dallas following Chicago's most recent loss before the Ravens game. That's where the bar should be set on Sunday, and it would almost be a disappointment if they don't clear it.

It's fair to wonder whether Hendrickson has played his last game with Cincinnati, as he's been one of the hottest names on the trading block ahead of Tuesday's deadline. With that said, it feels safe to say the Bears have no intentions of looking past the Week 9 matchup. Their odds of coming out on top might be significantly improved without 91 on the defensive line, but they'll still have their hands full with the Bengals' playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. If Joe Flacco suits up for the Bengals (he's questionable with a shoulder injury), then this game has shootout written all over it.

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