CINCINNATI -- The Bengals will be without All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson for a second straight week. Hendrickson will miss Sunday's AFC North showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers, coach Zac Taylor said Friday. Hendrickson did not practice all week after dealing with a hip and pelvis injury.
It's unclear when Hendrickson will be able to return to practice, Taylor said.
"It's a similar injury," Taylor said of the injury, which has shifted in diagnosis over the past month.
Hendrickson, last year's NFL sack leader and a four-time Pro Bowl selection, is considered week-to-week.
This will be the third game Hendrickson has missed this season. On Week 6, Hendrickson left the team's loss to the Green Bay Packers with what was deemed a back injury. He missed the following game, the team's victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He returned for Week 8 against the New York Jets, a 39-38 defeat, but missed the second half after aggravating what was later deemed a hip issue.
This week, a pelvis diagnosis was added to Hendrickson's status on the team's injury report. Sunday will be the second straight game he has missed.
Since signing with the Bengals as a free agent in 2021, he has been one of the NFL's best edge rushers. He led the league with 17.5 sacks last season and was named to the All-Pro team for the first time in his career.
After a lengthy holdout in the offseason over a contract dispute, he and the team agreed on amending his to $29 million for the final season of his contract, according to OverTheCap.com. This season, Hendrickson has four sacks and a forced fumble in seven games.
The 30-year-old won't be the only missing pass rusher on Sunday. Rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart will also miss the Steelers game because of a knee injury he sustained Nov. 2 against the Chicago Bears. While Stewart was seen doing rehab work during the open portion of practice, Taylor did not have a timetable on his return, either.
With Hendrickson and Stewart out, second-year player Cedric Johnson is expected to see an increased role against the Steelers. He played his first game on Week 9 after missing the first eight weeks of the season with a calf injury that kept him on injured reserve.
On Friday, Taylor said the defensive line needs to make more plays as a unit. Johnson agreed with that assessment as the Bengals try to fix a defense that allows the most points in the NFL. "We set the tone for the beginning of the play," Johnson told ESPN on Friday. "That's where the play starts. If anything gets to the [secondary], if it's not just straight to the perimeter, that's on us. So we gotta take accountability for that, play more physical. We gotta do what we gotta do to put the team in a better position."
Cincinnati (3-6) is looking to stay within striking distance of the division-leading Steelers (5-4). The Bengals have won their first two games in AFC North play this season, including a 33-31 win over the Steelers on Oct. 16. That also serves as the team's most recent win.
Earlier in the week, Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase said a win at Acrisure Stadium is necessary if Cincinnati wants to maintain any hopes of making the playoffs.
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow, who returned to practice this week as he continues to recover from toe surgery, said winning the AFC North is the best path for the Bengals to snap a two-year postseason drought.
"Everything is still there in front of us," Burrow said Monday. "Very rare that our division looks like this but it does this year and, so, I think we'll be at least in it until the end."
With Burrow still on injured reserve, Joe Flacco is projected to make his fifth start with the club. Flacco was again limited with a sprained right shoulder that he sustained against the Jets on Oct. 26. But barring an unforeseen setback, he will suit up this weekend. He played through the injury in the team's Week 9 loss to the Bears.
"Seemingly, he's in a better spot this week," Taylor said. "I feel very good about him playing on Sunday."
