Zac Taylor: Picking Shemar Stewart has nothing to do with Trey Hendrickson

The Bengals have been at odds with defensive end Trey Hendrickson about a new contract this offseason and he's asked for a trade to a team willing to give him one, so it was inevitable that their first-round pick would elicit questions regarding the veteran.

Defensive end Shemar Stewart was the team's choice with the 17th overall pick and head coach Zac Taylor was asked at a press conference about what Stewart's arrival means for Hendrickson's future. Taylor said there was no connection between the moves because the team has a place for Stewart whether Hendrickson is around or not.

"No, this is not a story about anybody else," Taylor said, via a transcript from the team. "I don't think you can ever have enough defensive linemen, especially in this league and this division. So, this doesn't speak to anyone else that's on our football team. This is just adding another weapon to our defense that we can utilize and keep guys fresh, keep guys coming after the quarterback and being relentless against the run. Again, this just speaks to how we want to play football. We want a stout defense and a lot of times, that starts up front. Adding pieces to that puzzle up front is always helpful for us."

The Bengals defense was bad enough in 2024 that any addition to the unit makes sense, but the questions about what they'll do with Hendrickson are going to keep coming until there's a resolution.