NFL Announces Punishment for Lions TE Brock Wright After Trey Hendrickson Incident
The Cincinnati Bengals fell to 2-3 on the season with a 37-24 loss at the hands of the Detroit Lions - a loss that facilitated the team's trade with the Cleveland Browns for quarterback Joe Flacco after the Bengals offense struggled for most of the contest.
“We hung the defense out to dry a couple times in the first half a couple games in a row. That’s my job. I call the plays on offense. I put that on myself. It just hasn’t been good enough,” head coach Zac Taylor said about his offense. “I’ve got to keep us out of danger. That’s on me.”
Bengals star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who has been the topic of trade talks over the past few weeks, did his part by racking up two sacks and a tackle for loss. One of those two sacks was in the headlines on Saturday, Oct. 11.
Hendrickson beat Lions tight end Brock Wright off the edge and raced towards quarterback Jared Goff. Just before he got past the tight end, though, Wright whipped out a leg and appeared to attempt to trip Hendrickson.
The tight end was not penalized on the play, but did receive an $11,883 fine.
Hendrickson's name also popped up in trade rumors this weekend when Dianna Russini of The Athletic suggested the San Francisco 49ers will likely "check in" on the star pass rusher. Meanwhile, just a few days earlier, 49ers general manager John Lynch made it clear the team would look to add help at the position after losing Nick Bosa.
"We'll see. I'm having a lot of conversations -- a lot of good and productive ones," Lynch said. "It is a premium position, so teams don't like just letting those guys out the door when they're good football players. So you have to identify the right guy who's going to help us. I've been very clear: you're not going to find a player that's going to go replace Nick Bosa and be as effective as him. That's really difficult to do. But can you find someone who makes the entirety of our group better? That's more in line with what we're looking for."
As he awaits a potential trade, Hendrickson will get set to square off against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Oct. 12.
“Once Every 3 Years”: Payton Breaks Tradition to Honor Broncos’ Defensive Masterclass
The Denver Broncos started their season with a win against the Tennessee Titans, resulting in an interesting move from Sean Payton.
The Denver Broncos entered the 2025-26 season under pressure to meet lofty expectations. Experts around the NFL world predict that Denver will have an excellent season. A lot of that success is because of the head coach, Sean Payton.
After a win against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, Payton decided to shout out Patrick Surtain, Talanoa Hufanga, and the entire defense.
The Broncos' defensive unit is one of the best in the entire NFL. Surtain won the Defensive Player of the Year Award last season and is one of the most feared corners in the league. However, Denver's win over Tennessee was a team effort. The Broncos racked up six sacks against Cam Ward and had key turnovers. Hufanga and Ja'Quan McMillan forced two fumbles in the game.
After the game, Payton celebrated the win with his team in their locker room. He also made a move that is rare for him. According to The Athletic's Nick Kosmider, the veteran head coach gave a game ball to the entire defense. Payton is not a coach that usually does something like that, but he felt the team deserved it, even if it won't happen again for a while.
“That happens, maybe, once every three years,” Payton said.
The Broncos' defense, led by Surtain and the secondary, have a chance to make a run this season. However, Payton will have to lean on his defense as Bo Nix settles back into the offense. The young quarterback struggled in Denver's season opener, hinting at some growing pains as he gets used to Payton's system.
Despite some of the downsides of its Week 1 performance, Denver has a lot to feel good about. The Broncos have a big matchup against the Indianapolis Colts and their red-hot offense in Week 2. If Surtain and Co. have another great performance, Payton's game ball tradition might have to be broken once again.
