The Bengals’ linebacker situation is still hanging over everything, and it’s hard to ignore how thin that room looks heading into camp. Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. may be the hopeful answers, but the concern is obvious: Cincinnati is leaning on projection at a spot where proven production would make a lot more sense.
That’s why Miami’s linebacker depth suddenly matters so much to the Bengals. Jordyn Brooks signing his extension on Tuesday may have taken one target off the board, but it also put Tyrel Dodson squarely in the conversation. For Cincinnati, he looks like the kind of veteran fix that can’t be brushed aside.
Dodson just finished a season with 129 combined tackles and five sacks in 2025, and he’s still only 28 after turning that age in June. He brings pass-rush ability, and PFF says he has missed only 9.6% of his tackles over the last two seasons. That kind of reliability stands out, especially for a linebacker who has absorbed plenty of contact while producing at that level.
The fit in Cincinnati is easy to picture. If the Bengals believe their improved, Dexter Lawrence-led defensive line can help lift Carter and Knight, then Dodson would be walking into a situation where the support up front could make his job even easier. Miami didn’t exactly give him a loaded front to work behind, with Zach Sieler standing out as the one underrated exception.
And the Bengals need more than upside here. Oren Burks is not the answer, and the rest of the current roster doesn’t offer much comfort if injuries hit. That’s the real issue: it’s not just about finding a starter, it’s about having someone trustworthy if the room gets tested.
Dodson also has the kind of contract situation that could make a deal realistic. He’s in the final year of his deal, and Brooks’ extension, along with the Dolphins drafting linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and Kyle Louis, gives Cincinnati some leverage. Miami has numbers at a position where the Bengals need help, and that could open the door.
A fourth-round pick would be enough to get this moving, and the Bengals can afford that kind of price. They’re expected to land a third-round compensatory pick for Trey Hendrickson’s departure in free agency, so the draft capital is there if they want to use it.
If the move doesn’t pan out, that’s part of the gamble. But the bigger point is simple: the Bengals can’t just sit back and hope the linebacker problem solves itself. Duke Tobin and the front office should at least be making the call and checking what Miami wants for Dodson.
This is one of those situations worth watching as training camp unfolds.
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Eric Gentry Faces A Bengals Reality Check This Summer
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For Gentry, the summer is going to be about proving he can handle the physical side of the job, from adding functional strength to holding up better against blocks and finishing tackles more consistently. His most obvious route to sticking is on special teams and through preseason versatility, with the Bengals likely to treat him as a long-term project who could eventually grow into more than just a depth piece. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Fans Are Finally Seeing Paycor Stadium's Long Promised Upgrade
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The project is also about more than cosmetics. Cincinnati has long treated the stadium district as a key part of The Banks, and the Bengals push to improve the building is meant to keep that area active while giving supporters a better experience inside it. The first phase is expected to be substantially complete before the 2026 season and the Cincinnati Music Festival, but the bigger question now is how much more of the full renovation vision will follow once this initial round is finished. [Read more 🡒]