Could Geno Atkins on his own save the bengals defense?
February 11, 2026
Could Geno Atkins on his own save the bengals defense?
17 comments
No, but he’d fix a good amount of issues.
I guess if being a mediocre defense is the goal, he’d probably get us to that point. But I think every Super Bowl winner in the past decade has had a top 10 defense, so to me that should be the goal.
Geno is turning 38 this year and hasn’t played professionally in five seasons. I don’t think he would be very effective at all.
In his prime? Yes. He was a wrecking ball on the DL. He ate up double teams like they were candy.
if we had peko and geno, I think we would be average.
He’d be a major improvement but the defense is so broken we’d need a few more upgrades. Especially another on the DL
If we’re talking prime Geno I think he would at least help make the dline a respectable unit, but I seriously doubt at 38 he’s got the same juice left.
I miss Geno
D Lineman coach please 🙏
prime? yes
I mean, the guy was second only to JJ Watt in his prime; also, a guy that good is a rising tide that lifts all boats
Geno was one of the best interior pass rushers before it was as important as it is in this generation of NFL football.
He was Aaron Donald Lite, which is not an insult at all. He is HoF worthy and yes he definitely could help fix this defense.
Plug him in the middle with our middling DE’s. Add in FA and the draft LB and Safety help.
He’d make us a top 20 defense lol
No
Yea
Easily. The bengals have been lacking interior pressure, it would help the de’s by flushing the qb out, which help the back 7 not have to cover as long
I think he’d have a good shot at making a not terrible defense out of a historically bad defense.
Interior pressure.
Before Geno, I didn’t even know that was a thing. I thought all sacks came from edge rushers and blitzes.
Watching this guy swim move through double teams, right through the middle to the QB, was not something I’d seen before with the Bengals. Or since.
A guy like prime Geno would turn any defense around.
17 comments
No, but he’d fix a good amount of issues.
I guess if being a mediocre defense is the goal, he’d probably get us to that point. But I think every Super Bowl winner in the past decade has had a top 10 defense, so to me that should be the goal.
Geno is turning 38 this year and hasn’t played professionally in five seasons. I don’t think he would be very effective at all.
In his prime? Yes. He was a wrecking ball on the DL. He ate up double teams like they were candy.
if we had peko and geno, I think we would be average.
He’d be a major improvement but the defense is so broken we’d need a few more upgrades. Especially another on the DL
If we’re talking prime Geno I think he would at least help make the dline a respectable unit, but I seriously doubt at 38 he’s got the same juice left.
I miss Geno
D Lineman coach please 🙏
prime? yes
I mean, the guy was second only to JJ Watt in his prime; also, a guy that good is a rising tide that lifts all boats
Geno was one of the best interior pass rushers before it was as important as it is in this generation of NFL football.
He was Aaron Donald Lite, which is not an insult at all. He is HoF worthy and yes he definitely could help fix this defense.
Plug him in the middle with our middling DE’s. Add in FA and the draft LB and Safety help.
He’d make us a top 20 defense lol
No
Yea
Easily. The bengals have been lacking interior pressure, it would help the de’s by flushing the qb out, which help the back 7 not have to cover as long
I think he’d have a good shot at making a not terrible defense out of a historically bad defense.
Interior pressure.
Before Geno, I didn’t even know that was a thing. I thought all sacks came from edge rushers and blitzes.
Watching this guy swim move through double teams, right through the middle to the QB, was not something I’d seen before with the Bengals. Or since.
A guy like prime Geno would turn any defense around.
I don’t think so?
But he’d get penetration up the middle.
And the Dominoes start to fall from there.