The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t need a minor repair after another lost season.
They needed a defense capable of giving Joe Burrow an actual track back to January, and after going after expensive veterans, including a blockbuster trade, the tables have turned.
The Athletic included the Bengals among the NFL’s underrated teams and wrote that the offseason overhaul could leave them with “better depth than they did when they reached the Super Bowl during the 2021 season.”
That comparison arrives after Cincinnati finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for a third consecutive year.
Pro Football Reference shows the Bengals scored 414 points and allowed 492, while The Athletic noted that the defense surrendered at least 30 points seven times and more than 45 twice.
The offense spent nine games without a healthy Burrow after he injured his toe in Week 2.
And when he returned for the final six games, the season had already slipped away.
Bengals Bet Heavily on Rebuilt Defensive Front
GettyNew Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, right, attempts to bring down quarterback Joe Burrow.
Cincinnati’s response carried far more urgency than a routine offseason reshuffle.
The Bengals traded the No. 10 pick in the 2026 NFL draft to the New York Giants for three-time Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence, then extended him through 2028.
Lawrence has 30.5 sacks and 40 tackles for loss in 109 regular-season games.
Cincinnati also signed two-time Pro Bowler Jonathan Allen to a two-year deal and Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60 million contract.
Allen recorded 68 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits last season, while Mafe has produced 20 sacks over four NFL seasons, including nine in 2023.
The Pro Football Focus numbers make Lawrence the most logical difference-maker.
PFF gave Lawrence a 75.6 overall grade, ninth among 134 qualified interior defenders, while his 84.5 pass-rush grade ranked seventh. He generated 34 pressures despite finishing without a full sack. His 14.1% pass-rush win rate ranked eighth at the position.
The 2025 results were more uneven for Allen and Mafe, although both supplied steady pressure volume.
PFF credited Allen with 34 pressures, tied for 27th among interior defenders, along with 34 defensive stops, which ranked 10th. Mafe produced 40 pressures and 36 hurries, with the latter ranking 16th among qualified edge defenders.
The investments are sensible because last season’s defense rarely offered the offense any room for mistakes, as Cincinnati allowed 6,475 yards and 6.0 yards per play.
Lawrence should command double-teams, while Allen can play through different alignments. At the same time, Mafe brings the speed to attack the edge.
Their presence also reduces the burden on Cincinnati’s younger defenders, which may be the strongest reason behind The Athletic’s depth comparison.
Burrow Is the Difference in Crowded AFC North
GettyQuarterback Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals looks to throw a pass from the pocket/
The defensive reconstruction only needs to create enough room for Burrow to blow the doors off the competition.
The Bengals’ quarterback started eight games last season and completed 66.8% of his passes for 1,809 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions.
His 100.7 passer rating showed that his effectiveness returned with his health, even if Cincinnati could not recover from the nine games he missed.
A full season from Burrow changes Cincinnati’s Super Bowl aspirations.
The Bengals have already shown they can score enough to challenge playoff teams. But their larger problem has been surviving injuries and preventing one defensive collapse from becoming another.
Baltimore will receive much of the AFC North attention, while Pittsburgh enters camp with its own veteran intrigue.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s path is simple.
The Bengals need their rebuilt front to turn a handful of last season’s shootouts into manageable games. And if Lawrence, Allen and Mafe deliver, the Super Bowl-era comparison will feel less like July hopefulness.
Instead, it becomes a warning to the rest of the NFL that Cincinnati’s three-year playoff absence could be nearing its end.
Cincinnati Bengals Get Bold Super Bowl Comparison Ahead of Training Camp