The Cincinnati Bengals spent most of the offseason focusing on improving their defense, which allowed the third-most points in the NFL last season.
That does not mean they completely ignored their offense. Cincinnati has also made significant moves to ensure that the team’s depth on offense remains strong. Now, the team is being urged to pursue a former Bengals Pro Bowl player in a move that would likely represent an improvement on the team’s depth.
Cincinnati Bengals Urged to Reunite With Kevin Zeitler
Bengals Wire’s Chris Roling listed some potential free agents that the Cincinnati Bengals could still target ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
One of them was former Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Kevin Zeitler, who spent the first five seasons of his career on the team’s offensive line, in which he started 71 games for the Bengals. Zeitler, 36, has now played for six different NFL teams during his career, and earned a Pro Bowl selection while playing for the division rival Baltimore Ravens in 2023. He has also totaled over $101 million in career earnings, according to Spotrac.
The veteran remains available in free agency, which is why Roling listed him as a potential target. Regarding the possibility of a reunion, Roling wrote:
“Is the bridge burnt? Maybe, but the former Bengals first-round pick is still looking great in pass block win rate (92.4 percent) deep into his career. It would be hard to complain about the Bengals getting better depth behind Dalton Risner and Dylan Fairchild while Brian Parker develops.”
ESPN’s Matt Bowen listed the San Francisco 49ers as another potential destination for the former Bengals guard. Bowen wrote:
“The veteran has a physical inside presence, using his power to displace defensive tackles. And he has the movement ability to pull on gap schemes, which fits into Kyle Shanahan’s system.
Zeitler also uses his strong base in protection, ranking 37th out of 65 qualifying guards in pass block win rate last season (92.4%). He would be an upgrade to the interior of San Francisco’s O-line, which saw left guard Spencer Burford leave for the Raiders in free agency.”
Cincinnati Bengals Offensive Line
As Roling mentioned, Zeitler would likely have to embrace the role of a veteran backup on the team. Risner was among the top performers for Cincinnati during the 2025 season, and earned a pay raise this offseason. Meanwhile, Fairchild was drafted in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft and started 15 games for the Bengals.
While both Fairchild and Risner missed time last season for the Bengals with injuries, they both performed well enough for the Bengals to feel comfortable about the state of the guard position.
Fairchild finished as a top-25 pass-blocking guard, according to Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, PFF ranked Risner among the top 25 in both pass blocking and run blocking.
Aside from the possibility that the bridges have been burned between Zeitler and Cincinnati, it appears unlikely that the veteran, who has shown he can still be a solid starter,would be willing to accept a depth role. PFF ranked Zeitler as a top-10 pass-blocking guard and a top-20 run blocker; however, it appears unlikely the Bengals would demote either Risner or Fairchild.
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