Near season-long injuries to Joe Burrow and Trey Hendrickson largely doomed the Bengals on both sides of the ball in 2025. The good news is the former stud still proved plenty capable of leading an elite offense when healthy enough to suit up. The bad news is this still very much resembles one of the very worst defenses in the league.

• 2025: 6-11 (-78 point differential, preseason win total: 9.5)
• Points per game: 24.4 (12th)
• EPA per pass: +0.01 (24th)
• EPA per rush: +0.01 (5th)
• Points per game against: 28.9 (30th)
• EPA per pass against: +0.18 (28th)
• EPA per rush against: +0.03 (30th)

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the majority of the Bengals' offseason resources should be spent on a defense that has allowed the third most points in the NFL during the last two seasons, although some additional help on the offensive line of scrimmage would be appreciated as well.

What Do The Cincinnati Bengals Need To Address In The 2026 Offseason?

Need 1: Front Seven

The 2025 Bengals ranked 26th in pressure rate and were also a bottom-10 defense in running back rush yards allowed before contact per carry. They were the league's sixth worst defense in "Havoc," which is the percentage of plays that a defense registers a pressure, tackle for a loss, forced fumble, interception or pass breakup.

Translation: This group failed to create negative plays against the pass and run alike last season.

It sure seems like Hendrickson has played his last snap in Cincinnati, while EDGE Joseph Ossai is also hitting free agency. Throw in a linebacker room that employs three of PFF's seven lowest-graded players at the position, and it's safe to say everything needs some help in the front seven.

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Need 2: Secondary

Plenty of help is also needed in the backend of the defense. Safety Geno Stone joins corners Cam Taylor-Britt and Jalen Davis as free agents, giving the Bengals the league's third-cheapest secondary in terms of 2026 dollars devoted to their safety and cornerback rooms.

Luckily, there is at least one blue chipper to build around here: CB DJ Turner finished 2025 as PFF's seventh-highest graded cover corner. Turner held up well against No. 1 outside receivers like Rome Odunze (0-0-0), Zay Flowers (2-6-0), Jameson Williams (1-9-0), Stefon Diggs (2-20-0) and DK Metcalf (3-50-0, 5-49-0), among others. Overall, the Bengals allowed just 1,980 total receiving yards against wide receivers–the fifth lowest mark in the league.

Of course, opposing tight ends and running backs ranked first and fourth in receiving yards, respectively, against the Bengals, so particularly focusing on improving things up the middle makes sense. This secondary simply hasn't found a real answer at safety since letting Jessie Bates take his talents to Atlanta in free agency during the 2023 offseason.

Need 3: Offensive line

PFF has handed out the following end-of-season ranks to the Bengals offensive line during Burrow's time under center:

• 2020: 30th
• 2021: 20th
• 2022: 28th
• 2023: 26th
• 2024: 30th
• 2025: 28th

Not great! Guard is the biggest priority with guys like Dalton Risner, Lucas Patrick and Cordell Volson all hitting free agency. Either way: Strolling into 2026 with the league's eighth-cheapest offensive line isn't acceptable considering the lackluster results in recent history.

Honorable mention

Wide receiver depth in the later rounds of the draft is warranted with former third-rounder Jermaine Burton out of the picture. … Backup QB needs to be addressed with Joe Flacco hitting free agency and Jake Browning being a restricted free agent … Tight end could also be something the team looks at with Noah Fant hitting free agency and Erick All's health uncertain.

If I were GM …

I'd devote all three of the team's top-75 draft picks to the defensive side of the football. Reminder: Last season the Bengals became the first team since the 1960s to score 38+ points in back-to-back games and lose both contests. Fortifying the defensive line with a one-year mercenary deal to someone like Khalil Mack, Haason Reddick or Joey Bosa could also make sense. Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are capable of hanging 30-plus points on just about anyone when they're clicking—now the organization needs to at least attempt to field a defense capable of at least being *OK*.

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