The Bengals upgraded their defense with another notable addition as they seek a return to contention.
The Cincinnati Bengals entered the offseason with a clear objective to fix a defense that finished 30th in total defense in 2025. That unit struggled across the board, allowed consistent yardage and failed to generate turnovers. The result was a 6-11 season that wasted a productive year from the offense (ranked 12th) and forced the front office to prioritize defensive upgrades.
Cincinnati has taken a multi-level approach to that rebuild. After letting edge rusher Trey Hendrickson walk in free agency, the team added defensive lineman Jonathan Allen to strengthen the interior, signed edge rusher Boye Mafe to improve pressure off the edge, and brought in defensive back Ja’Sir Taylor for secondary depth. They also added former Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook.
The latest move continues that trend, with Cincinnati signing veteran safety Kyle Dugger to improve a secondary that lacked consistency and playmaking ability.
Kyle Dugger addresses key weaknesses in the secondary
Dugger split the 2025 season between the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, finishing with 59 total tackles, two interceptions and a defensive touchdown across 16 games. After a midseason trade to Pittsburgh, he recorded 42 tackles and both interceptions, and quickly took on a starting role.
Dugger could help the areas Cincinnati needs most: tackling reliability and turnover creation. The Bengals struggled in both categories last season, frequently allowing extended drives due to missed tackles and a lack of takeaways. Dugger’s ability to play downhill and finish plays addresses those issues directly.
Beyond his statline, his usage will also be of immense value. Dugger has proven effective near the line of scrimmage, with strong blitz production for a defensive back. The versatility allows him to rotate between deep safety, box safety and sub-package roles, giving Cincinnati more flexibility in coverage schemes and pressure packages.
This feature is important for a defense that gave up explosive plays at a high rate in 2025. Cincinnati’s secondary often struggled with alignment and communication, leading to breakdowns in coverage. Dugger’s experience in multiple systems, including New England’s and Pittsburgh’s, should help stabilize those situations.
There are some few limitations in his game, though. Dugger’s coverage metrics have been inconsistent, and he is not a pure deep-field safety. However, Cincinnati does not need him to fill that role exclusively.
With added depth around him, his responsibilities can focus on run support, underneath coverage and situational pressure, where he has been most effective.
The combination of Allen on the interior, Mafe on the edge and an improved secondary has already helped the Bengals address structural issues that led to the 30th-ranked defense.
If Cincinnati is going to return to playoff contention, the improvement must come on that side of the ball. Dugger’s arrival does not solve everything, but it directly upgrades tackling, versatility and turnover potential, which are three areas that defined the Bengals’ defensive struggles last season.