Jan. 29, 2026, 9:13 a.m. ET
The Cincinnati Bengals should be a team that spends a big chunk of money in free agency this offseason.
After all, the Bengals kept everything about the coaching staff the same and effectively admitted that the roster needed to be improved. The big, costly contract distraction spats of the last few years are over.
What should happen is the Bengals zero in on an offseason similar to those that featured them signing the likes of DJ Reader, Trey Hendrickson, Mike Hilton and others. That push resulted in the deep playoff runs.
So the question is, which free agents fit that mold this offseason?
Jadeveon Clowney might be one, with CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles ranking him as the 45th overall free agent and Cincinnati as his top possible landing spot:
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“Even at 32, Clowney showed he can get after the passer and stop the run at a high level. The Bengals very much need both.”
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Clowney, the top pick in 2014, will turn 33 next month. But he still put up 8.5 sacks over 13 games in Dallas last year. This certainly isn’t the first time he’s been listed as a fit for the Bengals. He’s played with five different teams since 2020.
The Bengals will certainly have a need on the edge, too. Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai are free agents and might not be back. They will lean on first-round products Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart, but rotational depth like Clowney could provide a big boost. If the Bengals go front seven at 10th overall, it figures to be an interior pass-rusher.
Keep in mind, too, that the Joe Burrow effect means big names will want to come to Cincinnati if the contract is nice, so Clowney spending one of his last few seasons ring chasing with Burrow isn’t all that unrealistic.
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