The Cincinnati Bengals' pursuit of bettering their defense this offseason will require multiple free agent signings. At least one starter is needed on all three levels, and waiting until the 2026 NFL Draft to fill that many holes is not a recipe for success.

Cook is a 26-year-old defensive back who is a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs. Selected 62nd overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, Cook has proven to be a solid starter in the NFL and would be the best possible safety the Bengals could add this offseason.

The Bengals ranked sixth in explosive plays the season they reached Super Bowl LVI but have plummeted since.

ESPN Names Cincinnati Bengals 'Teetering Contender' Entering 2025 Offseason. Cincinnati has a ton of roster decisions to make this offseason.

Despite the Bengals not having downfield success, Chase and Higgins are still putting up good numbers individually. Chase is coming off a vintage 2025 season where he was named First Team All-Pro, hauling in 125 catches for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns . Tee Higgins had 59 catches for 846 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in 15 games.

There won't be any publication of the Bengals poor grades in these categories.

CINCINNATI — ESPN's Matt Bowen broke down the best team fits for the top NFL free agents in the 2026 class, and Cincinnati got mentioned as a pairing for a few players. All of them were on defense, starting with former University of Cincinnati and Chiefs safety Bryan Cook. He could be the perfect safety option to fill that leaky position.

After a disappointing 6-11 season, the Cincinnati Bengals did not make any major changes. Team president Mike Brown released a statement in which he confirmed that head coach Zac Taylor and general manager Duke Tobin would be retained by the organization next season.

The Rams stockpiled draft picks and used them wisely, remaining a contender while the Bengals fell off after SB LVI.