Only five seasons ago, the Cincinnati Bengals were viewed as one of the most promising teams in the entire NFL after making Super Bowl LVI. However, the past four seasons have been relatively disappointing for Cincinnati, as they've had a 36-31 record and have failed to make the playoffs the past three seasons. 

Coming into the 2026 off-season, the front offices main priority was to improve the defense in hopes to give their electric offense more support, and so far that is exactly what they have done (minus a few setbacks). 

After spending a total of $125.25 million dollars on defensive players in free agency (so far), Cincinnati is expected to have a bounce back year following their 6-11 record in 2026. 

With that being said, here are three takeaways from Cincinnati's 2026 free agency. 

It's not everyday that you get a pass rusher who recorded 61 sacks over a five season span. However, Cincinnati was blessed when they signed Trey Hendrickson in the 2021 off-season who blossomed into one of the premier pass rushers in the league. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, they failed to retain him as the front office and Hendrickson's management were unable to come to a contract agreement. The worst part about it is that Hendrickson signed with division rival the Baltimore Ravens. Fortunately for Cincinnati, they allocated the money that should've gone to Hendrickson in promising 27 year-old pass rusher Boye Mafe. 

Cincinnati signed Mafe to a 3-year, $60 million dollar contract with hopes that he can become the teams' next Hendrickson. Mafe recorded 20 sacks and 24 TFL's in his four year career with the Seattle Seahawks, proving that he's an effective pass rusher and run stopper. 

By factoring in the development of 24 year-old Myles Murphy and 22 year-old Shemar Stewart, Cincinnati should have a well rounded pass rush group, especially if they add to that position further in the draft. 

Cincinnati success this decade has come from their elite offense that has ranked inside the top eight of points for three of the past five seasons. However, their defense is what has kept them from achieving consistent success. With that being said, there is no reason that Cincinnati should NOT choose a defensive player with their 7th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

The pass rush is solid and the interior defensive line is stout after adding veteran Johnathan Allen, however, their secondary is what lacks firepower. There is a large selection of high level defensive backs that could positively impact Cincinnati's defense such as Caleb Downs, Mansoor Delane and Jermod McCoy. A secondary led by DJ Turner II, Dax Hill, Jordan Battle and recently acquired safety Bryan Cook should be solid, but not good enough to contend for a Super Bowl. 

After adding to the defensive line in free agency, the final step in rebuilding the defense should be to draft one of the premier defensive backs in this years NFL Draft, and there will be a handful of prospects to select from. 

It's every teams' goal to win a Super Bowl, and after getting a taste of one in the 2021-22 season, Cincinnati's front office should be driven to build a roster capable of getting back. After allocating nearly 35% of their cap space to the trio of Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Cincinnati has to build a championship roster around those guys IMMEDIATELY. 

The AFC conference is extremely talented with teams like the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos and others consistently contending for championships, so the time to spend money and make splash trades is now for Cincinnati. Additionally, having the 7th overall pick in a loaded NFL Draft is a luxury, and whichever player selected will make an immediate impact. 

This is arguably a make or break year for Cincinnati's Head Coach Zac Taylor, and there is a ton of pressure on him along with the team to get back to the postseason in 2026.