RECAP

In a season that will be categorized as What Might Have Been, the Bengals missed the playoffs for a third straight year since nearly winning the Super Bowl.

The defense was historically bad early in the season. The defense improved late in the year and made a playoff berth seem possible.

The offense was bad early. The offense improved as the season went on with QB Joe Flacco bridging the gap before QB Joe Burrow returned.

The offensive line struggled early. The offensive line improved greatly as the season went on. OL coach Scott Peters gets a lot of credit for this.

What the Bengals need to do this offseason is figure out the following:

1) Which defense is real, the early season bad or late season meh. A meh defense for an entire season would put this team directly in Super Bowl contention. A great defense means this team wins it all.

2) Is the offensive line good enough now to keep Burrow healthy and allow this offense to reach its full potential? If the line plays well, there are not many defenses that can consistently keep this team out of the end zone.

Burrow posted good numbers when on the field, 17-5 touchdown to interception ratio. The total numbers with Flacco and QB Jake Browning were over 4,200 yards and 36 touchdowns in the air. Also 17 picks which is not a good number.

RB Chase Brown had 1,019 yards and 6 Tds on the ground. Brown had a 69-437-5 receiving line making him one of the top backs in the league based purely on numbers. RB Samaje Perine got 84 attempts and averaged more than 4.5 yards per carry.

At receiver, WR Ja'Marr Chase posted a 125-1412-8 line while WR Tee Higgins went 59-846-11. WR Andrei Iosivas had a 33-435-2 line then WR Mitchell Tinsley was next at 8-116-2.

Tight ends were led by TE Mike Gesicki who had as 28-307-2 line. TE Noah Fant, a big free agent signing last year who will likely be gone, had a 34-288-3 receiving line. TE Tanner Hudson, who recently signed an exension, was 19-168-2. The total numbers for Bengals tight ends are okay but when spread out among numerous players it looks like this, and that's not good. With such a prolific passing game, the tight ends are not much of a factor for fantasy football.

FREE AGENCY

The Bengals have an estimated $52 million in top 51 player cap space for the 2026 season, according to Spotrac, with reserve/future contracts included.

They will have a little more than $11 million in dead money and $13 million allocated to draft picks.

The Bengals could free up $22 million by cutting OL Orlando Brown Jr. which is a good chunk of money but would need to fill that space with a pretty good offensive lineman. My thoughts would be to keep Brown for the final year of his deal.

DT Tedarrell Slaton has been a name brought up to get more money for new players and with a $9 million salary this season he could be a candidate to be let go. But again, like Brown, you have to fill that void so keeping him makes sense for now.

The big free agent leaving the team would be DL Trey Hendrickson. This marriage went south fast and seems like there is no going back. How the Bengals handle him is anybody's guess. They are not the tag and trade kind of team but that would be the best route, otherwise he leaves for free, well he would give the team a draft pick if somebody signs him but that is likely to balance out by signing free agents.

A tag and trade could garner the Bengals a decent pick this year if they put a pick with Hendrickson. One deal I saw was a Hendrickson and 41 for 16. His franchise tag number would be $30 million which is quite a bit of guaranteed money for a 31-year-old edge rusher.

The team would still have plenty of cap space based on that move alone but with a Brown release that almost brings the Bengals back in the $50 million range. Do you need Hendrickson or Brown more?

Other free agents are DL Joseph Ossai, DB Geno Stone, QB Joe Flacco, TE Noah Fant, OL Cordell Volson, OL Lucas Patrick, DB Marco Wilson, DB Cam Taylor-Britt, OL Dalton Risner, DL Cam Sample, DB Jalen Davis, LB Brian Assamoah, DB Tycen Anderson, QB Jake Browning. All are unrestricted except Browning.

Among this group to bring back, Ossai, Flacco and Risner are the top choices. Ossai would be costly but his play improved so much this past season. Davis is another no-brainer for me as he was another much improved player in 2025.

While not free agents contract extensions will be discussed for RB Chase Brown, DB D.J. Turner and DB Dax Hill. Brown like any running back is tricky. Not many fulfill a second contract but his play warrants it. The Bengals should extend Brown if the price is right and only if the price fits their budget. Otherwise, I believe another rookie or veteran back can be brought in to perform in a similar fashion. I would not extend Brown at the expense of defensive help.

Former Bengals DL D.J. Reader had his contract voided by the Lions and is a free agent that could fill a Slaton void at a lower cost.

THE DRAFT

This is not a draft loaded with generational fantasy football players but from an NFL standpoint there are good options on the defensive side of the ball, just what the Bengals need.

The most notable options if the Bengals stay at 10 are DB Caleb Downs, DT Peter Woods, DE Rueben Bain Jr., DE Keldric Faulk, DE David Bailey, LB Sonny Styles.

Any of these would improve the offense from Day One. All are different so there is plenty of options in terms of who fits the Bengals scheme best. Take one and be happy.

However, you have to wonder if a player like RB Jeremiyah Love was there and Brown was playing out the final year of his rookie deal, would the Bengals jump? Love is maybe the only generational talent on the board in 2026. People say add best player available whenever you get the chance but would this be the right thing to do?

Only if defense is addressed mightily in free agency or via trade would I say go Love here. If Love is on the board, I'm looking to trade down and add picks to help fix this defense

COACHING

The Bengals made a few minor coaching moves this off-season but all of the top pieces remain in Cincinnati. There was speculation that Brian Callahan, former coach for the Bengals, would return after being fired by Tennessee but he goes to the New York Giants instead.

End.