Bengals Week 7 Snap Counts: Cincinnati’s defense showed how life may look in a world without Trey Hendrickson

The Bengals defeated the Steelers after making tough decisions with their starting lineups.

John Sheeran — Cincinnati Bengals News Writer
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Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart (97) sits between drives in the first quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.
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Continuing a 10-year streak wasn’t easy, but the Cincinnati Bengals pulled off the upset against the Pittsburgh Steelers on “Thursday Night Football,” making it 10 consecutive victories for the home team in an AFC North contest on TNF. Joe Flacco put on a clinic, but Cincinnati made plays on both sides of the ball after working out some playing time decisions all over the roster.

Let’s see what the snap counts had to say about the Bengals’ win over Pittsburgh.

Tag team effort to replace Trey Hendrickson

Defensive end Trey Hendrickson tried to push through a hip injury to play Thursday night but ended up as an inactive. Shemar Stewart (22) was the starter for Hendrickson, but Myles Murphy (42) played nearly twice as many snaps. Stewart played the majority of his snaps in the first quarter while Murphy was out there for most of the game along with Joseph Ossai (44). Ossai and Murphy had the most pass-rushing snaps with 27 and 25, respectively, according to Pro Football Focus.

Stewart and Murphy only combined to record two pressures on Aaron Rodgers, as the 41-year old quarterback either released the ball lightning-quick, or had ample time in the pocket on traditional passing plays. Ossai at least had four pressures, but no one was able to sack Rodgers all night.

Hendrickson will have a good chance to return in Week 8 against the New York Jets, but life without him wasn’t particularly promising.

Noah Fant takes lions share of tight end snaps

Mike Gesicki’s pectoral injury cleared the way for Noah Fant (52) to play the most snaps than he’s played in a Bengals uniform so far this year. Fant wasn’t technically the starter as Drew Sample (39) played the first snap and 38 more, but the passing attack under Joe Flacco’s (76) command featured Fant having the third-most passing snaps of anyone not named Flacco for Cincinnati.

Fant finished the game with four receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown, which is his second of the season. He’s up to 20 receptions for 151 yards on the year, and with Gesicki out for at least another three games, Fant should continue to see this level of action as the feature receiving tight end. Tanner Hudson could make a slight dent, but Fant did well to establish some trust with Flacco.

Expert analysis on Bengals’ Week 7 snap counts against Steelers

  • Despite Dylan Fairchild being active after missing last week with a knee injury, Dalton Risner (76) started at left guard for the second straight week.
  • Linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. (48) was benched midway into the game thanks to four missed tackles, leading to Logan Wilson (26) playing more toward the end. Wilson was notably benched for Barrett Carter (57) last week.
  • Cornerback Josh Newton (26) was the third cornerback with Cam Taylor-Britt a healthy scratch, but DJ Turner II (56) and Dax Hill (57) remain the clear-cut starters at the position when the Bengals put seven in the box on defense.

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