One of the clearest what-ifs hanging over the Bengals’ defense still points back to Jessie Bates. Cincinnati let the safety leave in free agency after 2022 when the front office would not meet his expectations for guaranteed money, and he wound up signing with the Atlanta Falcons. Since then, the Bengals have poured free-agent and draft resources into trying to replace what he brought to the back end of the defense, and that effort has not gone well.
That’s part of why Bates comes up again now. Cincinnati added safety Bryan Cook in the offseason to help steady the position, but he has been dealing with an injury. Even if Cook returns, the idea of taking a swing on Bates has at least been floated as a way to pair him with another veteran.
The fit is obvious from a need standpoint. Jordan Battle has had serious issues, and Kyle Dugger has also been hurt. There’s a case for the Bengals improving the safety room, and Bates would absolutely help if he were brought in.
But this is where reality slams the brakes. Bates is in the final year of his contract, and the Falcons are not shopping him around. The idea of Cincinnati making a move for him is not viewed as likely, and if the asking price climbed beyond a Day 3 pick, the Bengals would be out immediately.
That doesn’t change the broader point: the need is real, and the upgrade would be welcome.
Elsewhere around the Bengals, Tee Higgins has opened the season in a big way, and the early run has coincided with Ja’Marr Chase dealing with a slow start. Higgins usually only gets this kind of stretch when Chase is out, but the way defenses have been playing Joe Burrow has helped funnel targets his way. Even so, Chase has a track record of big games against Baltimore, so that could change soon.
As for the idea of a splash at running back, the answer is no. Saquon Barkley and Johnathan Taylor were both mentioned in trade chatter, but the Bengals should not be chasing either one.
The price would need to be a Day 3 pick to make any sense, and even then it would likely require the other team to absorb most of the cap hit. That is not the kind of deal Cincinnati wants to touch.
The bigger issue on this roster is not running back anyway. The belief here is that the team has too often been fooled by what looks good in training camp against its own defense. What really needs fixing is linebacker and safety play.
There is also confidence building in Cincinnati coming out of the bye, and a win could help spark a run that pushes the team toward the postseason.
And one last thought from around the league: the punishment standard still does not make much sense. Spitting on someone brings an automatic suspension, but playing recklessly, ripping off a player’s helmet and then blasting a defenseless receiver can leave a player available for the rest of the game and the next one too. Minkah Fitzpatrick has always been dirty, and the NFL is just enabling it now.
In Other News...
Tee Higgins Just Added Extra Heat To Bengals Ravens Week 7
Tee Higgins is already leaning into the edge of a Week 7 meeting that has a little more juice than the usual AFC North grudge match. The Bengals are getting ready to face the Ravens, and Higgins enters the week off a solid start to the 2026 season, giving Cincinnati another reliable piece as it tries to keep pace in a game that carries early-season weight.
Higgins spent time discussing the matchup with Trey Hendrickson, a former teammate who now lines up on the other side of the rivalry. There was plenty of respect in the conversation, but also the kind of competitive tension that comes with seeing a familiar face in a new uniform. For Cincinnati, it adds one more layer to a game that already feels like it should have plenty of edge. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrow's Week 7 Standing Should Grab Bengals Fans' Attention
Quarterback power rankings are always a little more subjective than the standings, but they still say plenty about where the league thinks a teams signal-caller sits after the first third of the season. For Cincinnati, the list is worth a closer look because it folds performance, perception and expectations into the same conversation, with established stars and some surprise names all mixed together.
Joe Burrows placement in that group is the part Bengals fans will notice most, especially as the AFC North remains unforgiving and every week seems to reshape the picture around him. The ranking does not settle anything on its own, but it does underline how much attention Burrows season is drawing and why his standing has become part of the larger discussion around Cincinnatis place in the league. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Face A Shemar Stewart Decision They Didn't Expect
A quiet depth-chart issue has started to take on real trade-deadline shape for the Bengals. Shemar Stewart, the 2025 first-round edge rusher, has not carved out much of a role yet, and Cincinnati has continued adding defensive help around him, which has only added to the sense that his fit is worth watching as November 10 approaches.
Even with Stewarts long-term upside still part of the equation, his early usage has been limited enough to draw outside attention. Teams are reportedly monitoring him as a possible trade target, and the Bengals could have a decision to make sooner than expected if interest builds around a player they clearly still value, even while he sits further down the edge rotation than they likely envisioned. [Read more 🡒]