Richard Sherman is leaning on an old version of the Bengals.
On his podcast, the former three-time All-Pro corner said Cincinnati’s defense keeps the team from having a real shot at the AFC North, even if Joe Burrow is healthy. That argument makes sense if you’re judging the Bengals by what they’ve been lately. It falls apart if you ignore what changed this offseason.
The last two years gave Sherman plenty of ammunition. Over a 34-game stretch, the Bengals averaged a 28th-ranked defense in points allowed.
They held an opponent to single digits only twice, and not once in 2025. They also gave up 28 or more points 14 times.
That kind of leak can wreck almost any roster, even one with a high-end offense.
Cincinnati still found ways to lose despite huge point totals, too. The Bengals dropped games in which they scored 42 points, 38 points three times, and 34 points twice.
That’s the reality Sherman is talking about, and it’s not hard to see why he’d be skeptical. After Chicago beat Cincinnati despite the Bengals scoring 42 points, head coach Zac Taylor summed up the mess this way: "We're going to do everything we can to find a way.
I think it's impossible for me to say yes or no; We've been trying everything we can, so we'll just keep working at it."
But Sherman’s take skips over the most important part of the story: the Bengals didn’t stand still.
Cincinnati made one of the biggest moves of the offseason when it traded the No. 10 overall pick to the New York Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Pro Football Focus ranked Lawrence among the top 10 interior defensive linemen after last season, and just two years ago he reached the peak of being rated higher than any defender in the NFL.
The upgrades didn’t stop there. The Bengals also attacked a defense that needed help almost everywhere, especially up front and in the secondary.
Edge rusher Boye Mafe arrives with big expectations after the departure of Trey Hendrickson, and his pass rush helped the Seahawks win a Super Bowl in 2025. Rookie edge rusher Cashius Howell adds more depth to that group.
At safety, Bryan Cook may be one of the most important additions on the board; he replaces Geno Stone, who was cut from the Buffalo Bills’ 53-man roster and signed to their practice squad. Cook was graded by PFF as the fourth-best safety in the NFL, making him a major upgrade for Cincinnati.
The Bengals also brought in Jonathan Allen, a veteran interior lineman with nine years of experience, to bolster both the line and the leadership in that room. His presence pushes B.J.
Hill and T.J. Slaton into depth roles.
Another veteran safety, Kyle Dugger, gives Cincinnati 78 career regular-season starts and more help for a young defense, with the team hoping his experience can aid the development of 2023 third-round pick Jordan Battle. And fifth-year cornerback Ja'Sir Taylor adds another low-risk depth piece to the back end, though he will begin the season on IR.
Sherman is not wrong that the Bengals defense has been a problem. The mistake is treating that old problem like it still defines this team after the overhaul they just made.
Cincinnati may not need a historic defense anyway. The Bengals have what looks like one of the NFL’s best receiver duos, plus Burrow, who led the league in passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage the last time he played a full, healthy season. Behind him, the offensive line ranked fourth in pass-block efficiency through the final 11 weeks of the 2025 season.
That’s the real equation here: if the offense does its part, the defense doesn’t have to be elite. It just has to stop being a liability.
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JaMarr Chase Just Gave Bengals Fans A New Off-Field Reason To Care
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