Feb. 28, 2026, 9:55 a.m. ET
The Cincinnati Bengals might get more aggressive than expected on the trade block this offseason.
That’s the vibe coming out of Cincinnati since the season ended. They want impact players on the defense to speed up the defensive turnaround under Al Golden.
It’s a sense of urgency that points a finger at a guy named Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick is probably available for the right price as the Miami Dolphins blow things up. The Bengals might be willing to pay such a price.
But Duke Tobin and the Bengals would almost undoubtedly be all over Fitzpatrick if he gets cut and heads to free agency.
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On the latest episode of “The Growler,” The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. said he thinks the Bengals going after Fitzpatrick is one of the more realistic-sounding ideas floating around NFL spheres right now.
“The Bengals staff has always kind of loved Minkah, in the fact they hated to go against him,” Dehner said. “The idea of putting Minkah in there next to Jordan Battle, I think, has some legs.”
Currently, Fitzpatrick has a $15.6 million cap hit in 2026 before going to free agency. He’s projected to get a three-year extension worth roughly $58 million.
Those are numbers the Bengals probably wouldn’t have a problem with paying to overhaul a miserable safety position. They are very familiar with Fitzpatrick and how he’d fit from his years in the AFC North.
While there is no replacing an All-Pro like Jessie Bates, landing a 29-year-old safety like Fitzpatrick would be a dramatic upgrade over the likes of Geno Stone. Hence, reporters around the team getting the sense that this one, unlike other ideas (Maxx Crosby), is actually realistic.