The Bengals have spent this offseason trying to build something steadier around Joe Burrow, and that’s exactly why a Deebo Samuel move feels so off. Cincinnati has already done the hard work of upgrading its defense, and on offense the structure is pretty clear: Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins sit at the top, while the rest of the passing game sorts itself out behind them.
That’s why the Deebo chatter is more noise than fit. CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani recently listed Cincinnati among Samuel’s possible landing spots in free agency, echoing a suggestion from Mike Renner.
The idea is easy to see on paper. Burrow in 11 personnel with Chase, Higgins and Samuel would look dangerous.
But the reality in Cincinnati is more crowded than that.
The Bengals already have a lot going on at the No. 3 receiver spot. Andrei Iosivas has the inside track, at least technically, after spending multiple years in Zac Taylor’s system.
Mike Gesicki complicates the picture too, since he spends most of his snaps lined up as a slot receiver rather than as a traditional tight end. Then there’s Colbie Young, the fourth-round rookie out of Georgia, who looks like both immediate competition for Iosivas and a possible long-term replacement with Iosivas entering the final year of his rookie deal.
That’s before you even get to the money. Spotrac pegs Samuel’s projected market value at $15.8 million, with a reasonable deal listed at two years and $31.5 million.
For a 30-year-old veteran, that’s a steep price. It’s also a tough sell for a Bengals team that has about $16.5 million in 2026 salary cap room left.
This is the same team that added Dalton Risner last season at a much lower cost.
If Cincinnati makes another addition, it probably needs to be something cheaper, or several somethings cheaper. Samuel would be the opposite of that.
There is a football argument for him, of course. His ability to move around the formation, especially as a backfield weapon, would give the Bengals more ways to attack defenses and could lighten the load on Chase Brown. Samuel also put together a solid year in Washington, finishing with 72 catches for 727 yards and five touchdowns.
Still, the fit is hard to ignore. Cincinnati already has a crowded receiver room, and Samuel is too prominent a name to bring in without forcing real questions about usage.
Chase and Higgins already dominate the top of the target tree. The rest of the offense is built to sort out the scraps.
The Bengals have leaned into continuity this offseason while the rest of the AFC North has churned through coaching changes. All 11 offensive starters are back.
Burrow is expected to be healthy. The defense looks more competent than it has in a while.
That’s the foundation they’ve built.
Bringing Samuel in would complicate that for a luxury the Bengals do not need. It would add another expensive piece to a roster that already has plenty of mouths to feed, and it could create more friction than value.
In a vacuum, Deebo Samuel is a fascinating name. In Cincinnati, he looks like the wrong kind of swing.
In Other News...
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The bigger takeaway for Cincinnati is that Hill still appears on track to be part of the roster, even if he is not on the field right away. His temporary absence also creates a little extra room for other defensive tackles to make their case as camp opens, which is exactly the kind of depth battle the Bengals will be watching closely while they wait for one of their key interior defenders to get back to work. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Free Agent Sees Something Fans Have Been Desperate For
The Bengals spent the offseason trying to answer the question that has hovered over the franchise for years: can the defense finally catch up to an offense built to contend? A major part of that push came with the addition of Super Bowl champion Boye Mafe from Seattle, one of several veteran moves aimed at giving Cincinnati a sturdier, more complete unit for 2026. Bryan Cook, Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen also arrived as part of the effort to raise the floor on that side of the ball.
Mafe has already noticed the early stages of the transition under defensive coordinator Al Golden, saying the group is working through the kind of learning curve that often comes with a new system. He even drew a parallel to what he experienced in Seattle under Mike Macdonald, a reminder that defensive change can take time before it starts to look natural. For a Bengals team that has invested heavily in the front seven and the back end, the real question is how quickly all that new talent can turn into something more dependable. [Read more 🡒]