Cincinnati Bengals Rebuild Defense

The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off a tough 2025 season, standing 11th in the American Football Conference with a 6-11 record, and are looking to turn things around with a revamped defense.

What happened to the Bengals' defense in 2025?

The Bengals' defense struggled in 2025, surrendering almost 29 points per game, and the pass defense ranked 19th in completion percentage allowed but 29th in yards allowed per attempt.

The team lost star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to division rival Baltimore, but they added Boye Mafe from Seattle and drafted Cashius Howell in round two.

How are the Bengals improving their defense?

The biggest addition to the Bengals' defense is 340-pound roadblock Dexter Lawrence II, who is one of the game's premier run-stopping tackles, and the team also signed free agent Jonathan Allen, who has been one of the league's elite interior linemen since becoming a starter for Washington in 2018.

The secondary gets help in the form of free-agent additions Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger at safety and third-round pick Tacario Davis at corner.

And with their next game vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 13, 2026, the Bengals are looking to make a statement.

What does the future hold for the Bengals' defense?

If the plan at linebacker works, the Bengals could ascend all the way to above average, and with the new additions, the team is looking to improve their defense significantly.

The Bengals have a long, ugly history when it comes to drafting defensive linemen in the first round, but trading that pick to land a proven commodity like Lawrence may be the best move they've made in decades.

So the Bengals are hoping that their new defense will be able to make a big impact in the upcoming season.

But the team is also aware that there is still a lot of work to be done, and they will need to continue to improve if they want to be successful.

And with the team's current standing, they will need to work hard to turn things around.