Cincinnati Bengals Face Potential Concern That's Not Being Talked About

The Cincinnati Bengals spent their offseason attacking their most obvious flaw. The defense allowed 492 points during a 6-11 season in 2025, a 28.9 per game average that ranked 30th in the NFL, and the front office responded accordingly.

Dexter Lawrence II arrived from the New York Giants in a draft-week trade the club announced in April, with Cincinnati parting with premium draft capital to land the defensive tackle. In March free agency, the Bengals inked edge rusher Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60 million contract and safety Bryan Cook to a three-year, $40.25 million deal.

The urgency was understandable after edge rusher Trey Hendrickson departed in free agency and signed with the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. But while the defensive overhaul has dominated the conversation around this team, there is one problem not being talked about. The wide receiver room is thin behind its two stars.

Ja’Marr Chase posted 125 receptions, 1,412 receiving yards and eight touchdowns across 16 games in 2025, his fifth straight 1,000-yard season, and he earned a second consecutive First-Team All-Pro nod from the AP. Tee Higgins added 59 catches for 846 yards and 11 touchdowns in 15 games while making his first Pro Bowl.

Cincinnati rewarded the duo in March 2025. Chase received an extension covering four years and $161 million, a figure that made him the league’s top-paid non-quarterback by average salary at signing ($40.25 million per year), while Higgins landed a four-year, $115 million deal.

Behind them sits Andrei Iosivas, the projected No. 3 receiver. Appearing in 17 games in 2025, his third NFL season, Iosivas caught 33 passes for 435 yards and two touchdowns. His touchdown total was down from six in 2024, and 2026 marks the last season of the rookie contract he signed in 2023 before he is set to reach free agency.

The lone draft investment at the position came on April 25, when the Bengals selected Georgia’s Colbie Young in the fourth round at No. 140 overall. Measuring 6-foot-4 3/4 and 218 pounds, Young spent two seasons at Miami before transferring and closed his college career with 116 receptions for 1,437 yards and 13 touchdowns.

“You go down there in person and stand next to him and he just feels like a starting NFL wide receiver,” Dan Pitcher, Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator, said after the club made the pick (via Bengals.com).

“I see a lot of me in him,” Higgins said via Bengals.com during offseason workouts. “From my rookie year for sure.”

Mitchell Tinsley, the top returning depth option, managed just eight catches in 2025, turning them into 116 receiving yards and a pair of scores over four starts, most of that work coming with Chase or Higgins out of the lineup.

Charlie Jones served mainly as the kick returner last season at a 25.8-yard average. Beyond Young, the only additions were Noah Thomas and CFL signee Dohnte Meyers, with no veteran free agent signed all offseason.

This may very well prove to be enough for Burrow, but it’s something worth eyeing.