The Bengals spent this offseason acting like a team that knows the window with Joe Burrow is open right now. Burrow is no longer the fresh-faced quarterback on the rise; he’s the centerpiece, and Cincinnati moved accordingly, bringing in players such as Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and Bryan Cook in a push to chase a Super Bowl as soon as this season.
Even with that win-now approach, the organization still has reason to feel good about what’s coming next. One of the clearest reasons is on the offensive line, where Amarius Mims is starting to look like the kind of player the Bengals have been searching for.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox pointed to Mims as Cincinnati’s best building block going forward, and the case is easy to see. The Bengals have spent years fighting through uncertainty up front, and Knox argued that Mims may be the answer they’ve been waiting for.
"The Cincinnati Bengals don't have a great recent track record of developing offensive linemen, much to the chagrin of fans who would prefer to see Joe Burrow upright. However, Cincinnati may have itself a gem in third-year tackle Amarius Mims," Knox wrote.
"Mims, a 2024 first-round pick out of Georgia, has made 32 appearances with 30 starts in two seasons. While he's had his ups and downs, he also showed a lot of growth in his second season, as Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker noted when placing Mims on his 2026 all-breakout team.
"The Bengals have struggled to find true building blocks along their offensive line pretty much throughout the Burrow era. If Mims can take more positive strides in Year 3, however, he should become a long-term anchor in Cincinnati."
That’s the kind of development Cincinnati badly needs. The Bengals have seen enough shaky line play to know how quickly it can drag down a team, and they’ve also dealt with the ripple effects on the defensive side of the ball. For a roster trying to contend now, a young tackle who can grow into a reliable cornerstone is a huge deal.
Mims already flashed why he matters. He didn’t allow a sack down the stretch last season, and he put together solid numbers in both run blocking and pass blocking while helping stabilize an improved Bengals offensive line. If that trajectory keeps moving upward, Cincinnati may already have its franchise tackle in place.
In Other News...
Why Erick All Could Change Everything For The Bengals Offense
The Bengals are heading into 2026 with unusual continuity on offense, bringing back all 11 starters along with key backups, and that stability makes Erick All one of the more intriguing pieces on the board. The tight end missed last season because of knee injuries, but ESPNs analysts singled him out as a player who could give Cincinnati a different kind of dimension, one rooted in his ability to contribute as both a blocker and a receiver.
For a team that has already shown it can move the ball, the appeal is less about adding flash than about adding balance. Cincinnati plans to bring All along carefully because of his injury history, but if he settles in the way the Bengals hope, he could become a useful answer in the run game and a quietly important part of an offense trying to take another step. [Read more 🡒]
Cincinnati Chili Dogs Are Battling For Queen City Bragging Rights
The Great American Tailgate challenge has moved into Round 2, and Cincinnati chili dogs are still carrying the Queen City flag in a bracket built to celebrate the food traditions of all 32 NFL cities. The USA TODAY and Pro Football Hall of Fame partnership has turned tailgating into a national food fight, and the Bengals entry is now matched up against Eastern Carolina pulled pork as fans keep the regional pride contest rolling.
Supporters can vote daily on the SQWAD platform, with each vote also sending them into a drawing for a $1,000 Pro Football Hall of Fame merchandise gift card. It is the kind of off-field competition Bengals fans can sink their teeth into, especially with Cincinnatis signature dish still alive and looking to keep its run going in a bracket where every round brings a new test. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Secondary Just Earned The Kind Of Respect Fans Wanted
The league keeps tilting toward bigger personnel groupings and more tight ends, which has made safety play matter in a way that goes beyond the usual back-end cleanup work. In that context, the Bengals have a tandem that looks a lot more relevant than it might have a year ago, with Jessie Bates paired alongside Justin Cook after Cook came home to Cincinnati on a three-year deal following his time with the Chiefs.
Cook brings a veteran resume and the kind of versatility teams need when offenses keep forcing safeties into different jobs on the same drive. Bates, meanwhile, has become the kind of steady presence Cincinnati wanted in the middle of the defense, and the bigger question now is how much more the Bengals can get out of that pairing as the rest of the AFC keeps loading up on matchup problems. [Read more 🡒]