The Cincinnati Bengals are heading into a pivotal offseason, and the pressure is on. After three straight seasons of defensive inconsistency-and that’s putting it kindly-the front office is facing a clear mandate: build a defense worthy of Joe Burrow’s prime.
Bengals fans are cautiously optimistic that this could be the offseason where the team finally opens the checkbook and makes real, meaningful investments on that side of the ball. And with a strong crop of free-agent defenders hitting the market, the opportunity is there.
The blueprint? Think back to 2021, when Cincinnati made a series of smart, aggressive moves that helped launch them into contention.
NFL insider Albert Breer recently weighed in on what the Bengals might do to address their defensive shortcomings, and his outlook suggests Cincinnati could be active-very active.
“I could see the Bengals aggressively pursuing free agents on defense,” Breer noted. “Should Hendrickson depart, landing someone like Eagles free-agent Jaelan Phillips would make a lot of sense. A free-agent safety, like Seattle’s Coby Bryant or Kansas City’s Bryan Cook, would, too.”
That’s not just idle speculation. Those names make sense for a number of reasons.
Phillips, if available, would bring a high-ceiling pass-rusher into the fold-something the Bengals may desperately need if they part ways with Trey Hendrickson. And in the secondary, Bryant and Cook check a lot of boxes.
They come from winning cultures, they’ve played on the biggest stage, and they both have deep ties to Cincinnati, having played their college ball in the Queen City. That kind of local connection can’t be overlooked-it matters in the locker room and in the community.
Adding veterans like Bryant or Cook would also go a long way in stabilizing a young secondary that already features promising talent like DJ Turner II, Shemar Stewart, and Demetrius Knight Jr. Those three have upside, but they need leadership and consistency around them to reach their full potential.
Of course, the big question looming over all of this is what happens with Trey Hendrickson. The All-Pro edge rusher has been a force when healthy, but that’s the key phrase-when healthy. Breer didn’t mince words about Hendrickson’s future in Cincinnati.
“I’d be pretty surprised if Hendrickson ended up back in Cincinnati next year,” he said. “The Bengals gave him a big raise, up to $29 million last year, and only got seven games out of him. There were real questions on how much he did to push through injuries.”
That last point is telling. While every injury situation is different, Breer’s comments hint at some frustration within the organization-especially when contrasted with Joe Burrow’s relentless effort to return from his own injury ahead of schedule. Fair or not, that comparison speaks volumes about expectations inside the building.
And if you followed the weekly injury updates from head coach Zac Taylor, the writing may have already been on the wall. His brief, often non-committal updates on Hendrickson’s status always felt like a red flag. Now, it’s starting to feel like the Bengals are ready to turn the page.
If that’s the case, Cincinnati will need to be aggressive in finding his replacement. Whether it’s Jaelan Phillips or another high-impact pass rusher, the Bengals can’t afford to leave that hole unfilled-not in an AFC loaded with elite quarterbacks.
This offseason is about more than just patching holes. It’s about maximizing the Burrow window.
That means building a defense that can close out games, get key stops in the fourth quarter, and hold up against the AFC’s best. The pieces are there.
The cap space is there. Now it’s on the Bengals to make it count.
Bottom line: The time for half-measures is over. If Cincinnati wants to be more than a “what if” team, they need to invest like contenders. And that starts on defense.