Feb. 19, 2026, 9:36 a.m. ET
Over the years, Daron Payne has been one of the names constantly linked to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Payne seemed like an obvious candidate for the Bengals in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. He went 13th to the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati panicked after Frank Ragnow came off the board 20th and drafted Billy Price 21st.
Since, Payne has often been cited as a Bengals trade target at various times, including right now with Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox:
“Payne will turn 29 in May and remains a high-level starter who should draw interest from teams in need of help along the defensive front. This past season, he recorded three sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 46 combined tackles.”
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It’s hard to imagine the Bengals want to shift what would be a $30.2 million franchise tag number to $28 million for Payne. He’d also be effectively a one-year rental unless they get him locked down on a contract extension.
The Bengals seem more likely to spread big cash like that across the entirety of the defense. Payne would be a good addition, but adding a top-10 draft pick to Kris Jenkins Jr. and spending on veterans at other spots in free agency might be the approach they end up taking.
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