Cincinnati Bengals Director of Personnel Duke Tobin faced the local media for the first time since July Friday afternoon, addressing what went wrong for the team in 2025 and how the team can play to it’s “championship caliber.” “It goes without saying, this season is not what we expect, certainly not what we will accept,” Tobin said in his opening statement. “It was frustrating, it was challenge, it was disappointing for all of us, but more importantly, it was all those things for our fans. We feel that, it weighs on us. It hurts us, because we know that they have high expectations for us. We embrace those high expectations. Believe me, we have high expectations for this football team as well. We didn’t meet those expectations. The group we put out there did not fulfill those expectations. It motivates us to be better, to put a group out there that will make the city proud.”After a 2-0 start, the Bengals won just one of their next nine games after losing quarterback Joe Burrow to a turf toe injury early in their second game of the season.Cincinnati closed the year going 3-3 with Burrow back on the field, but the Bengals couldn’t overcome another tough start to the season and finished with a 6-11 overall record.They’ll pick 10th in this year’s draft. “We have a lot of work to do this offseason, we are aware of that,” Tobin said. “We’re motivated for it, we’re excited about it.”While Tobin, who has been in the Bengals organization since 2002, said multiple times he believed the Bengals had a championship caliber roster, he did say there were still needs the Bengals have to fill this offseason, specifically along both the offensive and defensive lines.”Successful defenses, they have to be able to pressure the passer. You have to be able to pressure with four,” Tobin said. “I always want to build the front, I always want to build the front.”The Bengals finished 2025 with just 35 sacks, more than only six other teams.It came after an offseason where the defensive line, primarily defensive end, was heavily prioritized, with Trey Hendrickson going through a very public contract dispute that netted him a $14 million raise and the team taking Shemar Stewart No. 17 overall in the draft.Hendrickson ended up playing just seven games for the Bengals this year while Stewart played in eight, with both battling injuries.Tobin took the podium Friday days after he got public reassurance from team president Mike Brown about his leadership in his role. Brown said the team would be retaining Tobin and head coach Zac Taylor in their roles for next season.Tobin, the team’s de-facto general manager, has held his position as director of player personnel since the 2002 campaign, and has overseen nine playoff rosters.Traditionally, Tobin usually only addresses the media at key offseason junctures, such as the combine or draft. He also is interviewed as part of Bengals’ preseason games. This is a developing story and will be updated.

CINCINNATI —

Cincinnati Bengals Director of Personnel Duke Tobin faced the local media for the first time since July Friday afternoon, addressing what went wrong for the team in 2025 and how the team can play to it’s “championship caliber.”

“It goes without saying, this season is not what we expect, certainly not what we will accept,” Tobin said in his opening statement. “It was frustrating, it was challenge, it was disappointing for all of us, but more importantly, it was all those things for our fans. We feel that, it weighs on us. It hurts us, because we know that they have high expectations for us. We embrace those high expectations. Believe me, we have high expectations for this football team as well. We didn’t meet those expectations. The group we put out there did not fulfill those expectations. It motivates us to be better, to put a group out there that will make the city proud.”

After a 2-0 start, the Bengals won just one of their next nine games after losing quarterback Joe Burrow to a turf toe injury early in their second game of the season.

Cincinnati closed the year going 3-3 with Burrow back on the field, but the Bengals couldn’t overcome another tough start to the season and finished with a 6-11 overall record.

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They’ll pick 10th in this year’s draft.

“We have a lot of work to do this offseason, we are aware of that,” Tobin said. “We’re motivated for it, we’re excited about it.”

While Tobin, who has been in the Bengals organization since 2002, said multiple times he believed the Bengals had a championship caliber roster, he did say there were still needs the Bengals have to fill this offseason, specifically along both the offensive and defensive lines.

“Successful defenses, they have to be able to pressure the passer. You have to be able to pressure with four,” Tobin said. “I always want to build the front, I always want to build the front.”

The Bengals finished 2025 with just 35 sacks, more than only six other teams.

It came after an offseason where the defensive line, primarily defensive end, was heavily prioritized, with Trey Hendrickson going through a very public contract dispute that netted him a $14 million raise and the team taking Shemar Stewart No. 17 overall in the draft.

Hendrickson ended up playing just seven games for the Bengals this year while Stewart played in eight, with both battling injuries.

Tobin took the podium Friday days after he got public reassurance from team president Mike Brown about his leadership in his role. Brown said the team would be retaining Tobin and head coach Zac Taylor in their roles for next season.

Tobin, the team’s de-facto general manager, has held his position as director of player personnel since the 2002 campaign, and has overseen nine playoff rosters.

Traditionally, Tobin usually only addresses the media at key offseason junctures, such as the combine or draft. He also is interviewed as part of Bengals’ preseason games.

This is a developing story and will be updated.