Brown’s stance comes amid a season heavily affected by injuries to quarterback Joe Burrow and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, but it also comes as ESPN’s power rankings place Cincinnati squarely outside the title mix, ranking the Bengals 16th after the season.
In ESPN’s offseason guidance, the key message to Cincinnati was blunt: “Improve the defense.” Ben Baby of ESPN notes that the defense not only failed to fix itself in 2025, it regressed, and the Bengals finished 27th in points allowed per drive. The defense is described as needing playmakers at every level, with defensive coordinator Al Golden tasked with continuing to develop emerging talents such as Myles Murphy and DJ Turner II, while free agency should not be passive in pursuit of impact defenders.
Defensive scrutiny has followed Cincinnati for two straight seasons. After a 2024 campaign marked by struggles, the unit saw Lou Anarumo depart as defensive coordinator; despite a new coordinator, the defense again performed poorly in 2025, ranking among the league’s worst in points allowed. Taylor has elected to retain Golden for 2026 in hopes of improvement, signaling patience but also a clear mandate for progress.
Public comments from Burrow during the season suggested frustration with the team’s performance, prompting speculation about his future. He later clarified that his remarks reflected disappointment over losing, not a desire to leave Cincinnati. Ian Rapoport indicated those comments could spur the Bengals to be more aggressive this offseason, particularly on defense, as they look to tailor their roster around Burrow’s proven excellence.
With Burrow’s championship trajectory in mind—an appearance in the Super Bowl in his second year and an AFC Championship in his third—the Bengals are expected to respond with a more robust offseason plan. The focus appears to be on upgrading the defense and adding impactful players to support a franchise quarterback entering what figures to be a pivotal period.
