A 6-11 record in 2025, dead last in the AFC North, is the figure Cincinnati could not explain away. That finish exposed a defense unable to generate consistent pass-rush pressure and prone to surrendering late leads, while Joe Burrow missed time to injury and Joe Flacco stepped in to absorb the damage. With the offense producing at an elite level and the defense dragging it down, the front office moved to rebuild the front seven and secondary before training camp, with head coach Zac Taylor entering his eighth season and defensive coordinator Al Golden in year two of the retool.
Reshaping the front seven
The headline move came via trade from the New York Giants: defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, now paired inside with veteran pass rusher Jonathan Allen and edge Boye Mafe. In the secondary, the Bengals signed safeties Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger. On the offensive side, Cincinnati re-signed Flacco, offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr., and guard Dalton Risner.
Departures were real. Trey Hendrickson, the team's longtime primary edge presence, signed with the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. Edge Joseph Ossai, cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, and safeties Geno Stone and Marco Wilson also departed.
The line rankings and what they mean
PFF has Cincinnati's defensive line entering the season ranked eighth in the league and the offensive line ranked 20th. That gap is the operating tension heading into the year. Lawrence and Allen are expected to collapse the pocket and control run situations, theoretically easing third-down reads for the rebuilt secondary. The offensive line at 20th is the counterweight: Burrow's availability has set this team's ceiling in every season he has played.
Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins lead the receiving corps. Chase suffered a non-contact knee injury this offseason and appears to have recovered, though the qualifier is worth carrying through a long season.
The Bengals previously stopped the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs and reached the Super Bowl, a ceiling the current roster has already demonstrated. David (@futureprez2024) prices Cincinnati at +184 to win the AFC North.