The Cincinnati Bengals finished the season with a 6-11 record, which marked their worst since the 2020 season. The team has now missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season, despite having one of the league’s best quarterbacks and receiving duo. Starting quarterback Joe Burrow missed most of the season with a turf toe injury. However, the offense was able to stay afloat with veteran backup Joe Flacco.
Unfortunately, the defense did not do its part as the Bengals surrendered the third-most points this season. The 2024 season was also disappointing for the Bengals defense, and it resulted in them firing defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. This year did not have that same fate, as despite worsening defensively, the team opted to retain defensive coordinator Al Golden.
That does not mean the team is satisfied with their efforts defensively. That is why the team is projected to add a former Super Bowl champion in an effort to shore up their defense.
Cincinnati Bengals Predicted to Sign Cornerback
With free agency looming after the season, Bleacher Report predicted a landing spot for the top free agent available at every position. They predicted the Bengals acquiring top free agent cornerback Jaylen Watson. Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay wrote, “The cornerback position has been of particular concern in Cincinnati in recent years, even after the emergence of DJ Turner as one of the league’s better defensive backs. With Cam Taylor-Britt a candidate to exit in free agency, the Bengals shouldn’t hesitate to pair Turner with Watson to create one of the better cornerback tandems in football. The 6’2″, 200-pound Watson would make an ideal partner on the outside, helping the Bengals finally start locking down opposing wideouts with more consistency.”
Additionally, Kay mentioned the injury concerns that Watson carries. The cornerback missed 11 games in the 2024 season and two games in the 2025 season with different injuries. However, he is 27 years old and the Bengals would potentially get him in the middle of his prime. While the secondary is not the primary issue for the Bengals, one way to neutralize the lack of pass rush is to have a dominant defensive back room.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah seemed aligned with that thought process, as he predicted the Bengals selecting cornerback Jermod McCoy with their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Possible Bengals Secondary
The addition of a top cornerback would almost certainly improve the Bengals defense. In the 2025 season, Watson was graded as the 13th-best cornerback in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. Pairing him with Turner, who was ranked as the 20th best cornerback in the NFL would provide the Bengals with one of the top secondary duos in the NFL.
The Bengals may be inclined to avoid using big money on a cornerback in free agency, as Dax Hill graded well when finishing the season as an outside cornerback. He had the third-highest coverage grade in the NFL over the last six weeks of the season. Cincinnati will have to decide if that was a large enough sample size.
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