Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals agreed to a trade with the Chicago Bears for running back Khalil Herbert prior to Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero first reported the trade. The Bengals are sending the Bears a 2025 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for Herbert.

Bengals running back Zack Moss missed Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders with a neck injury, and SI.com's James Rapien subsequently reported that Moss is expected to miss "significant time" and could require a stint on injured reserve.

Pelissero noted that it is exceedingly rare for the Bengals to make an in-season trade, as the deal for Herbert marks only the second time they have acquired a player during the season since 1973:

Herbert, 26, was a sixth-round pick by the Bears in the 2021 NFL draft, and he is in the midst of the final year of his contract before becoming a free agent.

He was a fairly significant part of the Chicago offense over his first three seasons, registering over 100 carries each year and compiling a total of 1,775 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns to go along with 43 receptions for 287 yards and two more scores.

Herbert has essentially been a nonfactor this season, though, rushing for 16 yards and one touchdown on eight carries, and catching two passes for four yards in six games.

The Bears signed D'Andre Swift to a three-year, $24 million contract this past offseason to be their No. 1 running back, and he has been precisely that, leading the team with 729 total yards from scrimmage.

Herbert was also clearly behind second-year man Roschon Johnson on the depth chart, as he has rushed for 108 yards and four touchdowns.

That made Herbert expendable, and he lands in a favorable situation in Cincinnati if Moss is indeed going to be out for an extended period.

With Moss out against the Raiders, Chase Brown played a season-high 80 percent of the offensive snaps and delivered, rushing for 120 yards on 27 carries, and catching five passes for 37 yards and a touchdown.

Brown was more of a change-of-pace and third-down back as a rookie last season behind Joe Mixon, and that was the case to start this season as well, although he essentially worked his way into a split with Moss before the injury.

Given Brown's efficiency to the tune of 479 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, plus 21 receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns, the Bengals would likely be best served deploying him as their top back for the remainder of the season.

However, Herbert still figures to have an important role for as long as Moss as out since no other running back on Cincinnati's roster outside of Brown or Moss has even one rushing attempt this season.

At 4-5, the Bengals have had an uneven start to the season, but they are in the thick of the playoff race, just one game out of the final wild-card spot in the AFC.

Even though the offense will largely go as quarterback Joe Burrow does, Herbert fills an important need for what was an extremely thin backfield after Moss went down.

After trailing the Cincinnati Bengals by 21 points on Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders made a quarterback change.

Gardner Minshew opened the game under center for Las Vegas but he was benched and replaced by Desmond Ridder in the third quarter, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic.

Ridder made his second appearance of the season. He previously started 13 games for the Atlanta Falcons in 2023, finishing with a record of 6-7 as part of the first-string offense.

Minshew struggled to help the Raiders' offense sustain drives throughout the first half. He finished 10-of-17 for 124 yards without a touchdown or an interception.

The 28-year-old started in Las Vegas' first five games of the season, but he was benched on two occasions during that span before head coach Antonio Pierce made the decision to insert Aidan O'Connell as his full-time replacement.

The change didn't last long, with O'Connell suffering a thumb fracture on Oct. 20 that landed him on injured reserve. Minshew looked better in his return against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, but the Raiders still lost their fourth consecutive game.

Entering Sunday's action, he completed 67.6 percent of his throws for 1,377 yards and six touchdowns to go along with eight interceptions. Minshew signed a two-year contract worth $25 million with the Raiders in March after earning the first Pro Bowl nod of his career on the Indianapolis Colts in 2023, but he hasn't excelled with the change of scenery.

Las Vegas already owned the seventh-worst scoring offense in the NFL prior to Sunday's loss while the team's average of 288.1 total yards per game was the fifth-worst mark in the league.

As for Ridder, he completed eight of his first 12 passes for 39 yards after entering the game.

Pierce will have another decision to make regarding the Raiders' starting quarterback following their Week 10 bye.

Despite a poor start to the season, the Cincinnati Bengals reportedly aren't going to move wide receiver Tee Higgins prior to Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.

Higgins can become a free agent at the end of the season, but Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Bengals have a "strong belief" in their team and want to make a run this season amid a 3-5 start.

Russini added that the Bengals are looking to make a move on defense prior to the deadline, though, with cornerback and defensive line being their main targets.

Higgins was the subject of trade rumors entering the 2024 season due to his desire to land a long-term contract, but he ultimately agreed to sign his franchise tender and play out the year with the Bengals before hitting free agency.

The 25-year-old wideout's importance to the Bengals has been quite obvious this season, as Cincinnati is 3-2 when he plays and 0-3 when he doesn't. That included a 37-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week, which was a game Higgins missed due to a quad injury.

Higgins is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders as well, which is one the Bengals can ill afford to lose.

In the five games Higgins has played this season, he has 29 receptions for 341 yards and three touchdowns, which is in line with what he did over his first three seasons.

As one of quarterback Joe Burrow's favorite targets, Higgins averaged 72 catches for 1,009 yards and six touchdowns over his first three campaigns, but injuries limited him to 12 games last season, and they have continued to be an issue in 2024.

The Bengals are a team that is built to win now, though, and given Higgins' importance to their success, trading him would essentially mean waving the white flag on the season, which is something they aren't likely to do.

If the Bengals instead decide to add and make a run at the playoffs, defense is the most obvious area that needs to be improved.

Cincinnati 24th in the NFL in total defense and 23rd in scoring defense this season, which is a carry over from 2023 when they ranked 31st in total defense and 21st in scoring defense.

The Bengals' most successful seasons during Zac Taylor's tenure as head coach came in 2021 and 2022 when they reached the Super Bowl and then the AFC Championship Game, and the defense was a big reason why.

Cincinnati was a middle-of-the-pack defense in 2021, ranking 18th in total defense and 17th in scoring defense, and even better the next season, ranking 16th in total defense and sixth in scoring defense.

Lou Anarumo has been the Bengals' defensive coordinator throughout Taylor's tenure, but if that unit does not improve significantly over the course of the rest of the season, his job could conceivably be in jeopardy.

Cincinnati is 21st in the NFL against the pass this season and a poor pass-rush may be the biggest reason why, as the Bengals are only 29th in sacks with 12.

Trey Hendrickson has seven of those sacks, so bringing in someone who can complement him may be the Bengals' biggest key to turning things around and making a playoff run.

Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton clearly isn't thrilled with his limited role in the team's offense to this point in the season.

"I can't put myself in the game," he told reporters when asked if he was happy with his approach to the 2024 season. "Personally, I feel like I could have been [making] plays."

Burton also offered more insight into growing more comfortable with quarterback Joe Burrow and the offensive scheme throughout the season:

Burton, a third-round pick out of Alabama at the 2024 NFL draft, has registered two catches for 88 yards this season on five targets. It isn't surprising that he's below superstar Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the depth chart, but perhaps a bit unexpected that wideouts such as Andrei Iosivas (14 catches for 189 yards and three touchdowns) and Trenton Irwin (three catches for 15 yards) have surpassed him in production.

Chase suggested that Burton should grow into the offense more as he continues to develop:

Burrow also suggested that Burton was a player with a lot of upside and noted that "the stuff he's put on tape warrants more playing time for him."

"He played great last week [against the Philadelphia Eagles]," he told reporters Wednesday. "He will take the next step with his knowledge of the game plan, his knowledge of the defense, his knowledge of the offense, the minute details of each route. I think Jermaine's going to be a really good player."

Reading between the lines from Chase and Burrow's comments, it seems as though the Bengals are excited about Burton's talent and upside but don't feel he's fully grasped the offense or finer details necessary to be a fully trusted, regular contributor just yet.

That isn't necessarily an indictment on Burton—he's still a rookie. But it would explain why he's yet to become a bigger part of the offense.

Football fans noticed the resemblance between Joe Burrow and actor Macaulay Culkin before the Cincinnati Bengals even drafted the quarterback in 2020.

Culkin took things to the next level Wednesday.

The actor dressed up like Burrow for Halloween and posted the photos on his Instagram account with a caption that said, "Game on @joeyb_9."

ESPN's Adam Schefter shared a look:

Culkin, who is best known for his role in Home Alone, even completed the look with a Bengals helmet.

Perhaps Cincinnati should entertain bringing him in for a tryout in a real uniform, as the 2024 season has been an inconsistent one at best. It started 0-3, went 3-1 in the next four and then lost at home to the Philadelphia Eagles by 20 points on Sunday.

The Bengals are now 3-5 and looking up at both the 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers and 5-3 Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North.

The record isn't Burrow's fault, as he has largely been excellent while completing 70.3 percent of his passes for 1,993 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. With numbers like that, some Bengals fans will likely join Culkin in dressing up like the quarterback for Halloween.

Amid the Cincinnati Bengals' 3-5 start to the season, Joe Burrow is keeping his focus on the field rather than worrying about front-office decisions.

With the trade deadline less than a week away, the quarterback was asked about moves other teams are making and whether he wished his team would make one.

"That's not my job," he said, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer (h/t Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams).

The weeks leading up to the Nov. 5 trade deadline have seen the Kansas City Chiefs trade for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and edge rusher Josh Uche, the Buffalo Bills land receiver Amari Cooper, the Baltimore Ravens bring in receiver Diontae Johnson and the Minnesota Vikings acquire left tackle Cam Robinson.

As all of those contenders have added pieces to help improve their chances in the postseason, the Bengals have stood idly despite their rough start to the year.

While he clarified that it isn't his position to help the team make trades, Burrow would likely be more than happy to see Cincinnati be aggressive at the deadline.

The Bengals' struggles are no fault of Burrow and the offense. They've been one of the best teams in the league offensively thanks to Burrow's 1,993 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions.

The defense, however, has given up the eighth-most points per game this season, negating the offense's success.

It's clear the Bengals need something to change if they want to get back to the playoffs after missing last year, but for now, Burrow is focused on what he can control.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow doesn't think the stakes in Sunday's matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders could be much higher.

Burrow called it a "must-win game" because the Bengals would have almost no margin for error moving forward if they slipped to 3-6 on the season.

Cincinnati isn't too much worse off now compared to when it reached the Super Bowl and then advanced to the AFC title game. The team was 5-4 through nine games in both 2021 and 2022.

Granted, the Bengals had the same record last year and wound up missing the playoffs.

To Burrow's point, 10 wins was the cutoff in the AFC wild-card race in 2023 and could be the bar once again with the conference standings where the are. The Los Angeles Chargers occupy seventh place at 4-3.

Playing the 2-6 Raiders isn't really a game Cincinnati can throw away when looking ahead to the rest of the schedule. The team still has to play the Chargers, Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys and has two meetings with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If the Bengals can't beat the Raiders, then what the odds of them reeling off the kind of winning streak needed to put them at 10 or 11 wins?

Many expect Cincy to turn a corner at some point because this team is too good to only have three wins. But the 37-17 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8 was potentially a big reality check.

Should the Bengals go out and lay an egg against Las Vegas, it will become a lot harder to buy into the as a serious postseason contender.

Following the Cincinnati Bengals' 37-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the Bengals fell to 3-5 on the season. However, Joe Burrow does not believe that eliminates them from playoff contention.

"We got to win seven out of nine," Burrow told reporters after the game, according to ESPN's Ben Baby. "That's doable. It's doable, so we'll go from there."

In Sunday's Week 8 loss, Burrow completed 26 of 37 passes for 234 yards, recording one interception and one touchdown. Before that, the Bengals had achieved back-to-back road victories against the New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns.

The Bengals are familiar with the need for a long winning streak late in the season.

In 2022, Cincinnati started similarly, going 4-4 in the first eight weeks. After Week 8, they then won ten consecutive games, including a Wild Card victory over the Baltimore Ravens and a Divisional Playoff win against the Buffalo Bills.

Burrow, who has recorded 1,993 total yards this season with a 70.3 percent completion rate, 15 touchdowns, and three interceptions, emphasized that the entire team needs to step up to achieve their goals.

"I don't think anybody's been good enough so far to win the games that we needed to," said Burrow.

Burrow and the Bengals will look to kick off their winning streak next Sunday against the 2-5 Las Vegas Raiders.

Joe Burrow was candid about the Cincinnati Bengals' struggles after his team fell to 3-5 following a 37-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

"We're not good enough," Burrow said after the game, via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.

Cincinnati's defense struggled mightily against Philadelphia, allowing the Eagles to rack up 397 yards of total offense in addition to their season-high 37 points. The Bengals' offense was also limited to just seven points in the second half.

Burrow wasn't flawless, but he was still able to complete 70.3 percent of his throws for 234 yards and a touchdown while extending plays with his mobility outside the pocket.

He also threw an interception on a deflected pass intended for Ja'Marr Chase in the fourth quarter, allowing Philadelphia to take a three-score lead.

Even though the Eagles were missing starting offensive linemen Jordan Mailata and Mekhi Becton, Cincinnati's pass-rush wasn't able to sack Jalen Hurts. The signal-caller looked comfortable in the pocket throughout the game, finishing 16-of-20 for 236 yards and a touchdown.

The Bengals also couldn't gain any momentum on the ground, picking up just 58 yards on 20 carries as a team.

Cincinnati entered its 2024 campaign with high expectations, making it to the AFC Championship Game in 2021 and 2022 before a season-ending wrist injury to Burrow resulted in a missed playoff appearance in 2023.

The Bengals opened the year by dropping each of their first three contests and sat at 1-4 through five weeks. They won two straight games over the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, but they weren't able to get back to .500 with Sunday's loss.

Despite Cincinnati's disheartening season, Burrow has still looked sharp. The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft entered Sunday's contest with 1,759 yards and 14 touchdown passes compared to just two interceptions.

However, the Bengals are in danger of missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year following the defeat against Philadelphia.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins will be inactive for Sunday's home game against the Philadelphia Eagles, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Higgins has totaled 29 catches for 341 yards and three touchdowns in five games this season. Andrei Iosivas, who has been serving as the Bengals' WR3 behind Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase, will see an increased workload with Higgins out.

When available, Higgins has been among Burrow's top targets. He has been particularly effective in his last three games for the Bengals as he finished each contest with more than 75 receiving yards.

Higgins hit the Bengals' injury report for the first time on Friday, when he was listed as limited in practice and questionable for Sunday's game with the quad injury.

His potential absence would be a significant blow to a Bengals team that is set to face one of the best pass defenses in the league. Without their top wideout, the Bengals could put more pressure on running backs Chase Brown and Zack Moss to lead Cincinnati's offense on the ground.

Higgins' latest designation continues the wideout's history of muscle injuries. The wideout previously missed the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury, which he suffered in a Sept. 5 practice ahead of the Bengals' season opener. He also suffered multiple hamstring injuries that sidelined him for four total games last season.

The Bengals at least got good injury news as tackle Orlando Brown and safety Geno Stone came off the injury report ahead of Sunday's game, and after losing their first three games of the season are looking to continue turning around their playoff chances. Without Higgins, Cincinnati may need big games from Chase and Moss in order to claim a third straight victory on Sunday.