The Bengals keep showing up in the same conversations for a reason, and the latest round of buzz around Cincinnati touches just about every corner of the roster.
At wide receiver, the Bengals’ All-PFF team of the past 20 years came with no shortage of firepower. A.J.
Green was paired with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, giving Cincinnati a trio that reflects just how loaded the position has been. The list had room for other names too, including Chad Johnson, but the final group still says plenty about the kind of talent the Bengals have rolled out at receiver over the last two decades.
That offensive talent is part of why ESPN analyst Jason McCourty told Dan Hoard he sees the Bengals as one of the AFC’s top Super Bowl contenders this season.
The attention around Cincinnati isn’t limited to the stars. Jordan Battle spoke about the areas he still needs to clean up heading into the 2026 season. Battle took a big step in 2024, going from 13 starts across his first two Bengals seasons combined to starting all 17 games in year three, but the results were mixed.
Elsewhere on the roster, the Bengals came in at No. 3 in ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell’s ranking of all 32 NFL WR, TE, RB groups. Even with that high placement, the supporting cast still has something to prove if it wants to keep climbing.
And on the rumor front, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton named Cincinnati as a possible landing spot for free-agent running back Najee Harris, who is trying to bounce back after an injury-ravaged stint with the Los Angeles Chargers.
In Other News...
Bengals Took A Massive Swing To Save Burrows Window And Its Blowing Up
With Trey Hendrickson gone to Baltimore, Cincinnati had a clear incentive to get aggressive about fixing a defense that had been its biggest weak spot. The club answered by swinging for Dexter Lawrence II, a move designed to add real force up front and keep Joe Burrows window from narrowing any further.
Not everyone is sold on the price, and the debate around it has only grown louder since the deal was made. Some around the league see it as the kind of necessary gamble the Bengals had to make, while others have questioned whether it cost too much for a player coming off a down season. ESPN went as far as calling it Cincinnatis biggest and worst offseason move, which only adds to the pressure on the front office to make the bet pay off. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bengals Fan Favorite Faces A Brutal Test Of Trust
Jake Browning is trying to carve out a new role in Tampa Bay after his run as a Bengals backup made him one of the more familiar reserve quarterbacks around the league. Cincinnati fans remember the stretch in 2023 when he stepped in for Joe Burrow and helped keep the offense afloat, showing enough poise to make his case as a legitimate option whenever the team needed him. Now he is back in a familiar kind of competition, working behind Baker Mayfield as he looks to secure a place on the Buccaneers depth chart.
The wrinkle is that the job is not sitting there for Browning by default. Analysts around Tampa Bay see a real battle for the backup spot, with Connor Bazelak also in the mix, and Browning arrives with both proof of what he can do and fresh questions after a difficult recent stretch. For the Bengals, it is a reminder of how quickly a trusted reserve can move from being a safety net to a player with something to prove, and Browning still has a chance to show he can be that reliable option again if Mayfield ever goes down. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Still Havent Made The Cheap Linebacker Move Fans Want
The Bengals have spent plenty of time talking around their linebacker problem, but the issue itself has not gone away. It remains one of the clearer weak spots on the roster, which is why the search for a fix keeps circling back to the same kind of affordable veteran help that could steady the middle of the defense without forcing a major roster overhaul.
One name that keeps surfacing fits that mold as well as anyone because of his background, athletic profile and recent production. He has moved around enough to offer some lineup flexibility, and the case for adding him is built on a blend of run support, coverage and pressure ability that the Bengals could use right now, even if the front office has so far stopped short of making the move fans have been waiting for. [Read more 🡒]