The Bengals head into the bye with a defense that’s better than it was, but still plenty imperfect. And as the former-Cincinnati reunion tour keeps rolling around the league, one ex-Bengal has emerged as the player who probably would’ve helped them the most.
That would be Akeem Davis-Gaither.
A lot of the Bengals’ old familiar faces have landed with Indianapolis under Lou Anarumo, but most of those experiments have been forgettable. Germaine Pratt signed there again.
Joe Bachie was starting at one point last season. Mike Hilton even logged a couple games in Indy in 2025.
Cam Taylor-Britt is there too, and the Colts’ defense has been ugly, ranking 28th in yards allowed and sixth-worst in scoring defense.
Davis-Gaither, though, has actually done something.
He’s been a steady tackler for the Colts and hasn’t been a liability in coverage either. PFF has him at a 6.1% missed tackle rate among his 44 official tackles. By comparison, Demetrius Knight Jr. has taken a step forward in Year 2, posting PFF’s seventh-best run defense grade among qualifying linebackers at 81.2, but Davis-Gaither is right behind the top tier at 74.0 and Knight’s missed tackle rate sits at 10.6%.
That’s the kind of profile the Bengals could use from a No. 3 linebacker: somebody who finishes plays more reliably than Knight or Barrett Carter, whose career miss rate is 14.7%. And, as the piece points out, keeping Davis-Gaither around once upon a time probably wouldn’t have cost much.
Elsewhere, Trey Hendrickson is closing in on a return after finger surgery to repair a broken bone. He’s missed the Ravens’ past couple of games, and Baltimore managed to beat the Falcons on Sunday night without Lamar Jackson as well. That Ravens win matters for the AFC North picture, even if it also nudges Cleveland farther into trouble after a loss to Deshaun Watson and the Browns in Week 6.
Hendrickson, though, looks set to be a factor soon. Ravens coach Jesse Minter said, “We’re super excited to get him back out there.” The expectation is that he’ll be ready for Week 6, and the timing lines up with a road trip to Cleveland before Baltimore hosts Cincinnati in Week 7.
Then there’s Joseph Ossai, whose Bengals run never lived up to the annual breakout hype attached to him. The joke has always been that he was “Waiting for Godot,” and the punchline kept stretching through every season in Cincinnati. Now the Jets are the ones betting on him, handing him $34.5 million over three years in free agency.
That deal already looks like a swing with plenty of risk. Ossai left Week 5’s win over the Browns with an ankle injury, and Aaron Glenn has labeled him week-to-week.
Even if he gets healthy, there’s still skepticism about whether the production will ever match the investment. The article also notes that Ossai and Hendrickson reportedly bad-mouthed the Bengals to rookie Shemar Stewart, possibly hurting Stewart’s development along the way.
And finally, Jake Browning has landed with the Chargers, where the quarterback situation looks like a mess. He’s only on the practice squad for now, but with Trey Lance on injured reserve, Justin Herbert taking a beating, and DJ Uiagalelei sitting as the only other option, Browning could quickly move up to QB2.
It’s a notable turn for a player many had written off after his rough 2025 stretch filling in for Joe Burrow. The article makes the point plainly: the Buccaneers cutting him loose doesn’t look like the end of the road anymore.
In Other News...
Bengals Kept The AFC North Race Alive With A Bigger Test Looming
Baltimores overtime win over Atlanta tightened the AFC North picture, and Cincinnati did its part to keep the division race from slipping away by knocking off Miami and ending a two-game skid. Clevelands loss to the Jets knocked the Browns off a three-game run, while Pittsburgh stayed in the mix with a win over Indianapolis and a strong showing from Jaylen Warren, leaving the division crowded again after Week 5.
For the Bengals, the timing matters almost as much as the result. A win like this buys some breathing room and resets the tone after a rough stretch, but the schedule does not offer much time to enjoy it with a bigger test ahead once the bye passes. With Baltimore now in front, Cincinnatis next stretch figures to tell a lot about whether this victory was just a needed pause in the slide or the start of something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Browning May Have Another Unexpected Shot At Starting
Jake Brownings latest move has landed him in a familiar sort of limbo. The former Bengals backup quarterback signed with the Chargers and sits third on Los Angeles quarterback depth chart behind Justin Herbert and DJ Uiagalelei, a spot that does not exactly scream immediate opportunity but does keep him one snap or one roster wrinkle away from relevance.
For Cincinnati fans, Brownings path is worth watching because the door in Los Angeles only opens if the situation above him changes. There has been speculation that the Chargers could consider trading Herbert, though the team has not confirmed any such plan, and any shift there would immediately alter Brownings standing. For now, it is another reminder that a quarterbacks next chance can arrive in the least expected way. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Fans Should Already Be Watching Baltimore This Week
The Bengals are using their bye week to catch their breath, but the bigger picture in the AFC North is already shifting toward Baltimore. Cincinnati does not play this Sunday, which leaves plenty of room to keep an eye on the Ravens and how their injury situation develops before the teams meet again on Oct. 25.
Baltimores quarterback picture is still tied to Lamar Jacksons recovery from an ankle injury, and former Bengal Trey Hendrickson is also dealing with a finger issue that makes his return difficult to pin down. By the time the Bengals head to Maryland, the matchup could look very different depending on how those two situations unfold, which gives this idle week a little more relevance than most. [Read more 🡒]