Pride is a dangerous thing in the NFL, and the Bengals are flirting with letting it cost them again.
Cincinnati keeps getting burned by the same problem: a linebacker group that cannot consistently handle tight ends and running backs in coverage. Sunday’s 30-27 loss to Pittsburgh made that plain.
Aaron Rodgers’ first pass went to Jaylen Warren on a short crossing route, and it turned into a 30-yard gain. The question practically answered itself: where was the linebacker?
That theme held up all afternoon. Warren finished with three catches for 49 yards, while Darnell Washington, Pat Freiermuth and Robert Tonyan combined for six receptions and 99 more yards. Put it together, and Rodgers got 148 yards through running backs and tight ends alone - more than half of his passing output.
The most damaging snap came late. With the game tied in the fourth quarter, Washington turned a catch into a 47-yard gain on the drive that ended with Pittsburgh’s winning field goal.
Cincinnati needed a stop. Instead, a tight end helped flip the field and set up the kick.
This was not some one-off breakdown. It was a continuation.
One week earlier, Dalton Schultz ripped the Bengals for 12 catches and 140 yards in Houston. Cincinnati won that game, but the underlying issue stayed right where it was.
A win does not erase a defensive flaw.
The Bengals have seen enough to know what’s going on. What they haven’t done is act on it.
There are veterans out there who make sense as possible fixes. Shaq Thompson is on Buffalo’s practice squad, and PFF’s player page has him at a 69.2 coverage grade for 2025, which ranks 14th among 88 qualified linebackers.
Jerome Baker is also available, sitting on the latest free-agent list with a 69.1 coverage grade last season. Neither name comes with a promise, but both deserve a hard look.
That does not mean Cincinnati has to blow up its linebacker room or hand somebody a starting job. It means the team needs to be honest about the assignments that are hurting it most and bring in competition for those passing-down snaps.
Can a veteran carry a tight end up the seam? Can he stay with a back leaking out of the backfield?
Those are the jobs that matter here.
And those are the jobs the Bengals need to be evaluating right now.
The standard should not be whether a move makes the offseason plan look good. It should be whether it makes the defense better. If an available linebacker can help, he needs to play.
Joe Burrow’s prime is too important to waste while the front office protects its pride. The weakness is obvious.
The league knows it. Now the Bengals have to decide whether they’re willing to do something about it.
In Other News...
Bengals Loss Exposed A Bigger Problem Than Just One Bad Night
The Bengals Week 4 loss to Jacksonville was more than a frustrating 22-17 finish, because it also forced a hard look at how much of the roster held up when the game tightened. Cincinnati still got encouraging work from Dohnte Meyers and Tee Higgins, but the night turned choppy quickly after JaMarr Chase left for a concussion evaluation, and the offense never really settled into a rhythm from there.
What made the result sting was how many layers of the operation looked off at once. Jordan Battle and Dylan Fairchild drew criticism for their play, Zac Taylors offensive adjustments did not seem to solve the Jaguars pressure points, and Joe Burrows decision-making under pressure came under the microscope again, leaving the Bengals with a familiar but troubling question about whether this was just a bad night or something deeper. [Read more 🡒]
Tee Higgins Injury Leaves Bengals Facing One Big Offensive Concern
Tee Higgins night against the Jaguars ended with a late adductor injury, and it left the Bengals with one of the more immediate questions they can face this early in the week. Higgins tried to come back after leaving the game, but he was unable to continue, and Cincinnati still has not offered any recovery timeline as the team awaits further evaluation.
For a passing game that leans heavily on Higgins as one of its top targets, the timing matters as much as the injury itself. The Bengals now have to sort through what comes next without knowing how long they may be without him, and that uncertainty adds another layer to an offense already trying to keep its footing. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Face A Ja'Marr Chase Scare They Can't Afford
JaMarr Chases afternoon against Jacksonville took an unwelcome turn when a facemask hit led to a head injury and a concussion evaluation, forcing the Bengals star receiver out of the game for a stretch. For a Cincinnati offense that leans heavily on Chase to set the tone, any pause in his availability immediately changes the feel of the sideline and the play-calling.
Zac Taylor also pointed to the broader reality the Bengals are dealing with, noting the strain of injuries across the receiver room with Chase among the players affected. Even when Chase is only listed as questionable to return, the ripple effect is clear for a team that cannot afford to lose more firepower while trying to stay on schedule offensively. [Read more 🡒]