It is safe to say the Cincinnati Bengals hit rock bottom last season with one of the worst defenses in NFL history, another Joe Burrow injury, and a third straight year missing the playoffs.
This offseason has truly felt like a ‘now or never’ situation, and the Bengals front office put together the best offseason in the franchise’s long history.
The Bengals spent heavily in free agency with new additions like Bryan Cook, Boye Mafe, Kyle Dugger, and Jonathan Allen.
The front office did not stop their
trading away of their first-round pick to the New York Giants for superstar defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
Duke Tobin even put together an impressive draft class, led by 2025 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Cashius Howell.
It was clear at the end of last season that Joe Burrow was unhappy, and rightfully so, but how does the franchise quarterback feel now as June approaches?
“You can feel the vibe and the leadership has changed in the locker room a little bit,” Burrow told Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson. “It’s exciting for everyone.”
“(Bryan) Cook, in the limited time he’s been here, you can feel his presence early,” Burrow said. “Dexter (Lawrence), too. A lot of guys on the D-Line now. You have Jonathan Allen.”
This defense has the potential to be the best in Cincinnati since Burrow was drafted in 2020, and for the first time in a long time (maybe ever?), we can say the Bengals front office has done its job…
It is now on the team to go out there and execute.
