Orlando Brown Jr. (75) blocks against Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) in the final game of the 2025 season. (Katie Stratman-Imagn Images)
This week was always going to be critical for the Bengals.
A strong start on Monday, lots of watching on Tuesday and Wednesday as big defensive names came off the board and a strong statement on Thursday with the extension of the big man responsible for protecting Joe Burrow’s blindside and signing the nasty attitude and two-time Pro Bowler the defensive line was desperately seeking.
Talk about a rollercoaster.
It’s been the ultimate Bengals experience—a 72-hour emotional blender.
Monday had that “New Year, New Me” energy. The Bengals came out of the tunnel swinging, grabbing safety Bryan Cook and edge rusher Boye Mafe right out of the gate. It felt different. It felt aggressive. It felt like the front office finally understood that you can’t bring a butter knife to a gunfight in the AFC North.
But then? Then the “same old Bengals” vibes started creeping back in. Tuesday and Wednesday were a ghost town. While the rest of the league was burning through cash like it was Monopoly money, the Bengals just sat back. And the silence was deafening because of the Trey Hendrickson situation. Losing their best pass rusher to the rival Ravens. More painful was watching some of the big linebacker and interior defensive line names come off the board that definitely would’ve helped the cause of a defensive rebuild. Linebackers Leo Chenal (Washington) and Alex Anzalone (Tampa Bay) went elsewhere. Edge K’Lavon Chiasson could’ve been had on a reasonable one-year deal.
Then came Thursday.
The Bengals pounced on Jonathan Allen, the second the Vikings let him walk, locking him into a two-year, $26 million deal that can hit $28 million with incentives. This isn’t just about a 300-pound man who can collapse a pocket. This is about an identity shift.
The Bengals clearly brought Allen as a defensive tackle in for two reasons. He is a proven commodity with production on the interior and he is an outspoken leader when he and his teammates don’t produce. Most famously, following a 14-7 Washington loss to the New York Giants on Oct. 22, 2023, he went on a rant about losing and underperforming.
Q: What’s the evaluation like after a loss like that?
JA: They whipped our ass, plain and simple, got to be better.
Q: Anything they did that surprised you guys early on.
JA: No, I wouldn’t say so. I think it’s just a lack of focus on our part, a lack of attention to detail, not starting fast and creating holes that are too big for us to overcome in the second half.
Q: Does it get frustrating?
JA: F–k yes it does. I’m f–king tired of this shit. I’m f–king tired of this bullshit. It’s been seven f–king years of the same s–t, I’m tired of this s–t.
Q: What can you do now going forward to get it turned around?
JA: Get our minds right and get ready to play f–king Philadelphia.
For the record, Washington lost the next week to Philadelphia 38-31. But, the more important thing for the Bengals is the accountability a vocal proven veteran brings to the locker room and the defensive front.
Where was this when the Bengals inexcusably lost to the Jets and Bears in back-to-back weeks at home last season? Obviously, the Bengals could’ve used that attitude adjustment in the worst way. The Bengals defense did play better down the stretch but not consistently enough. At least now, presumably, there will be more accountability when the standard is not met.
What the Bengals haven’t had lately is a defensive interior that makes opposing guards want to reconsider their career choices.
For years, this defense has been pushed around when it matters. Jonathan Allen doesn’t do “pushed around.” He is a veteran locker room leader—exactly what this young, reconstructed defense was missing. He brings that “grown man” strength and a nasty streak that you simply cannot teach.
The Stats That Matter: Don’t just look at the 3.5 sacks he had in Minnesota last year. Look at the 34 pressures. That would have led every defensive tackle on our roster last season. Since 2021, he has the fifth-most pressures in the NFL when double-teamed. You want to know why B.J. Hill and Myles Murphy are going to look better next year? It’s because teams can’t just ignore the man in the middle anymore.
Versatility: He’s 31, sure, but he started all 17 games last year. He’s durable, he’s a Pro Bowler, and he gives Al Golden the flexibility to move pieces around like a chess grandmaster. He was 27th/134 for DTs in pass rush in 2025 per Pro Football Focus.
The Week in Review: A Defensive Overhaul and a key extension
Losing Hendrickson still stings but the Bengals were smart for not paying $112 million to a 31-year-old that is too one-dimensional for this defense. But for a team that ranked 31st in total defense last year, this isn’t just a facelift—it’s a heart transplant.
Extending the starting left tackle through the 2028 season could be a strategic masterstroke, primarily because it secured a high-value contract for a cornerstone position while other NFL teams are forced to pay record-shattering prices for offensive line talent. It also buys some time to find a younger long-term replacement beyond 2028.
Strategic Advantages of the Extension
Brown’s new two-year extension is worth $32 million ($16M AAV), which actually represents a minor pay cut from his previous $16.023M annual salary. By contrast, the 2026 free agency market saw other offensive linemen, like center Tyler Linderbaum, reset the market with mind-boggling deals averaging $27 million per year.
This move ensures the Bengals return all five offensive line starters from the 2025 season for the first time in the Joe Burrow era. Brown started all 17 games in 2025 and remains the primary protector for the Pro Bowl quarterback.
The deal is structured to be “team-friendly” while still providing Brown with $23 million in the first year. This front-loaded structure rewards the player immediately while maintaining long-term cap flexibility for the organization as it navigates future extensions for stars like Ja’Marr Chase.
Brown remarkably negotiated the deal himself without an agent. This direct communication with team president Mike Brown avoided the typical public drama seen in recent Bengals negotiations, such as the one that led to Trey Hendrickson’s departure to the Ravens.
Despite an up-and-down 2025 season (60.6 PFF grade), Brown’s willingness to play through discomfort and his perfect attendance record in 17 games provided the reliability the Bengals desperately needed after years of line instability.
The Bengals have effectively replaced potential with proven veteran production, at least with these three defensive additions. There’s still a ton of work to be done.
The Bengals still need 1-2 edges for the rotation (Rueben Bain, Arvell Reese), they need 1-2 defensive tackle difference makers (Peter Woods) (perhaps another big run-stopping nose), Another safety – if it’s Caleb Downs – would be great and so would another corner. The linebacker room absolutely still needs to be tweaked and upgraded. Sonny Styles could do that if available at No. 10 in April. So would Anthony Hill (Texas) or Jake Golday (Cincinnati) later in the draft.
The ups and downs of this week have been wild, but ending it with a guy like Jonathan Allen suggests the Bengals are finally done being the “polite” team in the North. They have the quarterback. They have the weapons. Now, finally, they might just have the defense that’s willing to get its hands dirty.
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