The Cincinnati Bengals got off to a good start to begin the 2026 free agency tampering period. Agreeing to deals with safety Bryan Cook and defensive end Boye Mafe. Both players are coming off of rookie contracts and should be in the prime of their careers. They are also both guys who were part of Super Bowl-winning teams. Let’s take a look at some other players still on the market that the Bengals could have interest in.
Quarterback
Joe Flacco remains at the top of this list for me. If the Bengals were able
to bring Flacco back, they would have a veteran leader who has shown that he can come in and be competitive when called on. Some other players expected to be on the market by Wednesday include Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins, Geno Smith, Russell Wilson, Tyrod Taylor, and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Wide Receiver
While it isn’t expected for the Bengals to add a wide receiver during free agency, they could look to upgrade in the slot. A couple of players that could make sense here are Christian Kirk and Darnell Mooney. Both players would give you a quicker separator than what you have with Andrei Iosivas.
Defensive End
The Bengals agreed to a deal with Boye Mafe. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t continue looking to add another player at that position during free agency. One of the most intriguing players still on the market is Arnold Ebikitie. His role decreased with the Falcons due to the young rookies Atlanta had on the team last year. He recently turned 27 years old and is projected to get a 2-year $16 million contract in free agency.
Some other players still available here include Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney, Bradley Chubb, Cameron Jordan, K’Lavon Chaisson, and even old friend Trey Hendrickson.
Defensive Tackle
Cincinnati missed out in its pursuit of John Franklin-Myers. Myers was far and away the best available player at this position. There are two guys who should still interest the Bengals. These two guys are on completely opposite ends of the age spectrum for NFL players. Logan Hall is a 26-year-old player who could add some versatility and juice to the defensive line. Calais Campbell is another guy that they should gauge interest in. Campbell will be turning 40 years old, but there has not been a decline in his impact on the defensive line.
Another name to at least toss out there is DJ Reader. He isn’t going to help the pass rush much, but he is a veteran leader who is still stout against the run. Would he accept a potential rotational role and contract?
Linebacker
The Bengals missed out on Devin Lloyd, the projected top of the market linebacker, who signed with the Panthers on Monday night. He signed for an average annual value of $15 million per year. The next guy that many Bengals fans are hoping ends up in Cincinnati is Leo Chenal. Chenal hasn’t been a full-time starter during his time with the Chiefs. He still has been an impactful player, and is just now getting ready to turn 26 years old. This is a player who would immediately come in and elevate the outlook of the linebacker position.
Another player at linebacker to note is Kaden Elliss. The 31-year-old linebacker was most recently with the Falcons. He was originally with the New Orleans Saints. He would also be an upgrade over Barrett Carter at the linebacker position. Bobby Wagner is another veteran still on the market, but he has not been good in coverage the last couple of seasons in Washington.
Cornerback
Another position that is more likely to see an addition in the draft than free agency at the moment is corner. If they did look toward the free agent market for an addition, there are several notable names left out there. Tariq Woolen, Cobie Durant, Roger McCreary, Chidobe Awuzie, and Martin Emerson are some of the players still available to start day two of the tampering period.
Safety
The Bengals could still look to add one more safety. The most likely player would be them re-signing Tycen Anderson. Anderson has been a special teams standout in Cincinnati. If they are thinking of getting a bit more creative with using three safeties, they could gauge the interest of a player like Nick Cross still. Other notable safeties still available include Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker.
Who are some players from this list you are hoping the Bengals can still add to the roster? Sound off in the comments.
