March 26, 2026, 7:00 p.m. ET

Not too long ago, it looked like the Cincinnati Bengals reuniting with DJ Reader in free agency would make a ton of sense. 

Things change fast in the NFL. 

Now, Reader might just reunite with Trey Hendrickson on the Baltimore Ravens. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on the visit for Reader on Thursday. 

No deal as of this writing, but it’s the first major publicized move for Reader in free agency. 

Back before NFL free agency started, Reader seemed like a guy who could come back and provide some of that veteran leadership Bengals coaches have openly talked about needing to add for the defense. 

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That, paired with nice cap savings if the Bengals cut run-stuffer TJ Slaton, seemed to make the idea a real possibility.

And who knows? Maybe things change and it still happens at a later date. But Slaton doesn’t look like a cut candidate right now and the arrival of Jonathan Allen (more of a pass-rusher on the interior) brings that much-needed leadership. 

Joe Burrow, meanwhile, might need to line up against both Hendrickson and Reader on the same team twice per season in 2026.Â