The Bengals don’t need much help on offense to look dangerous. When Joe Burrow is healthy, that unit already plays like one of the league’s best.
Even with Joe Flacco and Jake Browning starting more than half of last season, Cincinnati still finished No. 12 in scoring. Once Burrow came back, the whole operation snapped back into elite form.
Now the intriguing part: the Bengals are bringing back almost everything. All 11 starters return on that side of the ball, along with the head coach and offensive coordinator.
Charlie Jones, Drew Sample and Samaje Perine are back too. But the backup who could actually move the needle the most in 2026 is Erick All.
ESPN’s recent roster rankings put Cincinnati at No. 15 overall, with the defense dragging the team down. Aaron Schatz singled out All as a player who could matter far more than his last season suggests. The third-year tight end from Iowa didn’t play a snap in 2025, but Schatz sees real upside if he can stay on the field.
“Drew Sample is primarily a blocker, and Mike Gesicki is basically a big slot receiver, but All gives the Bengals a tight end who can block and catch. His problem is injuries.
All dealt with back injuries at Michigan, tore his right ACL after transferring to Iowa in 2023, then tore the same ligament again against the Raiders in November 2024 and missed all of last season. But All is healthy and fully participated in OTAs.
He caught 20 passes out of 22 targets as a rookie for 158 yards before that ACL tear.”
That’s the appeal in a nutshell. Cincinnati knows what it has in Sample and Gesicki.
Both are useful. Both have defined roles.
All is the one tight end on the roster who can do a little of everything, and that matters in an offense that wants more from its run game.
The Bengals have been efficient on the ground with Chase Brown, whose 52.3% success rate over the last two seasons ranks ninth among 30 qualifying running backs, according to Pro Football Reference. But they’re still looking for another gear there in 2026. All could help them find it.
One path is heavier two-tight-end looks. Another is using All as the lone tight end in 11 personnel. Either way, the idea is the same: force defenses to choose between loading up on Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins or dealing with a tight end who can actually block and catch.
That’s where All becomes interesting. In 11 personnel, when the Bengals have six blockers up front and defenses are sitting in light boxes, he could be the piece that helps the run game finally pop. He has shown that kind of ability before.
The Bengals will almost certainly bring him along carefully because of his knee history. It would be a surprise if he became a full-time player in 2026, especially with Sample and Gesicki still in the mix. But if All stays healthy, he has the kind of skill set that can change the shape of this offense.
He has also reportedly impressed teammates in offseason workouts, which only adds to the buzz. If this is the year he breaks through, it would be a major development for a Bengals team trying to get back into the AFC race.
In Other News...
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 🡒]