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[Cincinnati Bengals]

Adam Schefter goes off the deep end regarding a Joe Burrow trade

The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t having a good 2025. They came in with high expectations. They had a new defensive coordinator who was supposed to fix the problems that plagued the team last year, and with no contract issues for Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins, Joe Burrow got an entire offseason with his top weapons.

However, an injury in Week 2 to Burrow’s toe that will keep him out for the vast majority of the season, and a defense that still struggles to stop even the worst offenses in the NFL, have created a 3-6 start.

More than that, this is a culmination of years of decision-making coming to a head, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Going from a unit that was a strength in 2021 to gradually becoming historically bad. This has come as they’ve drafted poorly and made bad free agent moves to fill holes, while letting other players walk.

This kind of start could have people wondering how Burrow himself feels about his future in Cincinnati. NFL Insider Adam Schefter went on a tirade while on ESPN’s “Get Up” about how Burrow might be available in the future as a quarterback arms race occurs.

“How do you think Joe Burrow feels about the Bengals defense and the offensive line that’s protecting him?” Schefter quipped. “That’s where it gets interesting, because if that’s what he wants, and we have no idea what he wants, but if that’s what he wants, it’s over.

“Any player, when they’re determined enough, if they want out, they’re gonna get out.”

It is worth noting that the Miami Dolphins had three first-round picks in that 2020 draft, and at the time, people said the Bengals should take them and draft Justin Herbert or Tua Tagovailoa.

Andrew Hawkins noted Burrow’s injury history and said a king’s ransom wouldn’t be a 0% chance that a trade would get done.

The real thing that would have to occur would be Burrow going to the front office and saying he’s done, that he’s willing to pull a Carson Palmer and walk away if they don’t trade him.

Everyone on the set notes that this is the point at which a trade becomes more likely. The thing is, Burrow isn’t that guy, and it would be tough for him to do that when they just went out and got him Chase, Higgins, and Gesicki signed, like he went to the press and asked for.

Burrow also seems like a guy who genuinely loves the game too much to sit out games in the hope of getting traded. That is all without noting the compensation he would be giving up.

It is hilarious how worked up Schefter gets over this whole segment. It gets to the point that the host pulls out a prop they call “Salty Schefty,” which is the most accurate representation of what he’s been like towards this franchise for a while.

There is no doubt serious changes need to occur, but if people think Burrow is a realistic quarterback target for a few first round picks, they are delusional. The Bengals realize how lucky they are to get Burrow. It’s why they signed Higgins and Chase.

Without Burrow, this team is a bottom-dweller.

Looking ahead to the off-season arms race. pic.twitter.com/SeWBGO9gsH

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 6, 2025

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinn...burrow-trade-adam-schefter-espn-salty-schefty

 

[Cincinnati Bengals]

6 winners and 3 losers for the Bengals from NFL Trade Deadline

The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t typically very active when it comes to trading for players or trading away their own. It’s never been something Mike Brown and the Blackburn family have ever really embraced, even when they had the opportunity to add to a potential championship roster or shed players on their way out to accrue picks when things aren’t going well.

This season, the Bengals could have gone either way. Sitting at 3-6, it would have made sense to trade away an asset like Trey Hendrickson. It also could have made sense if the Bengals decided to trade for an edge rusher to try to make an improbable run at the postseason when they come out of their bye week.

Here are some of the winners and losers from the Bengals now that the trade deadline has come and gone.

Winners​

Logan Wilson: It’s not often a player not named Carson Palmer requests a trade from the Bengals’ front office, and it gets honored. Wilson woke up on November 4 with a 3-6 record after being benched and went to bed with a 3-5-1 record, which isn’t a huge improvement, but the Cowboy gets a fresh start on the Cowboys. Good for him, and good luck to him.

Barrett Carter: It wasn’t surprising when Wilson requested a trade, considering he was benched for Carter, who is a rookie. Now the starting linebacker role next to Demetrius Knight Jr. is his and his alone. It’s hard to find a better coach than experience, and Carter is going to get plenty of that.

Opposing Quarterbacks: Had the Bengals been bound and determined to fix their defense for a run in the back half of the season, one thing they could have done was trade for another pass rusher. Al Golden’s defense, outside of Trey Hendrickson, has been awful when it comes to rushing the passer, and a part of the reason other teams are able to score a ton of points against Cincinnati is because opposing quarterbacks can sit in the pocket until a receiver gets open. That will continue.

Oren Burks/Shaka Heyward: Carter isn’t the only beneficiary of Wilson’s departure. Both Burks and Heyward were buried behind Carter, Knight, and Wilson on the depth chart. They may not be starting now, but Golden could turn to them if he wants to give one of his starters a breather, or if one gets hurt.

Zac Taylor: The trade deadline is the unofficial halfway point of the season, and the 3-6 Bengals are looking like they’re likely going to miss the playoffs for the third season in a row. You would have thought Taylor’s ice would have been thin after he allowed the league’s most explosive offense to miss the playoffs, but now that his hand-picked defensive coordinator is obviously not working out, his job security seems as strong as ever. Remember, Marvin Lewis was the Bengals’ head coach for 16 years.

Can you imagine having that kind of job security?

Losers​

Trey Hendrickson: Here’s the biggest loser on this list. The best thing the Bengals could have done, for themselves and for Hendrickson, would have been to trade him. He’s on the wrong side of 30, and the Bengals may not get what they want, but something is better than nothing. The Bengals could be setting themselves up to tag Hendrickson in ‘26, in which case, he’d be playing on a one-year deal again.

Bengals fans: No major shakeups. No big changes. No sign that the Bengals’ front office has any plans to do anything differently than they’ve done it since Mike Brown took over. Nothing changes if nothing changes, and Bengals fans just need to remember who they’re rooting for.

Jermaine Burton: This may seem like a stretch, but hear me out. Burton’s first couple of seasons in the NFL haven’t been good, and the best thing he could hope for might be a change of scenery. Burton obviously has talent, but, considering the off-field issues and the lack of production, it’s likely he’ll just continue to waste away as a healthy scratch on game days.

Who are your winners and losers?

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinn...line-zac-taylor-logan-wilson-trey-hendrickson

 

[Cincinnati Bengals]

The Cincinnati Bengals need sweeping changes throughout the entire organization

The Cincinnati Bengals lost yet another game they should have won. They went into the bye week at 3-6. The only move they made at the NFL Trade Deadline was sending Logan Wilson off to the Dallas Cowboys for a seventh-round draft pick.

There seems to be no real direction for what the plan is to fix the defense. Fans are growing frustrated with this organization, and rightfully so.

You can make the argument that Al Golden and his defensive staff need to be fired. I don’t disagree with that.

Golden has never been an NFL defensive coordinator prior to this year. The players seem to have no respect for him. His positional coaches were not the most inspiring hires before the season began. There were a lot of holdovers from the previous staff, which is something I will never understand. When you give up 39 points to the Jets and 47 points to the Bears in back-to-back weeks, you should no longer have a job.

You can also make the argument that Zac Taylor needs to be fired. I don’t disagree with that, either.

This will be the third straight season without making the playoffs. When you have the offensive talent this team does, that is unacceptable. He should not get a pass for Joe Burrow being out. Joe Flacco has played lights out, yet this team is still losing.

If you want to argue that Zac doesn’t coach the defense, I get that. However, he is the HEAD COACH of the team. He is responsible for both sides of the ball. He went out of his way to say that the decision to let Lou Anarumo go was entirely his decision. He was squarely in the conversation about the next hire for that job. He helped choose his neighbor and former linebacker coach, Al Golden, to be the new defensive coordinator. The results are a defense that is on a historically bad pace for the 2025 season.

Another person who needs their walking papers is Duke Tobin. Tobin has been the de facto general manager and director of player personnel since 1999. The Bengals seem to only hit on draft picks when they have a top-five selection. Winning teams are getting quality starters in the middle rounds consistently. We are drafting players who are inactive or not even on the team after a couple of seasons in those rounds.

This man is responsible for making selections like Jackson Carman, John Ross, Cedric Ogbuehi, and so many other terrible selections over the years. The Bengals have selected defensive players with 10 out of their last 13 selections in the top three rounds.

What are the results of that? A last-place defense, with DJ Turner seeming like the only player who could see a second contract. Dax Hill had his fifth-year option picked up, but his performance has been up and down throughout the year. That pick is actually decent in comparison to the others.

Who were the other 8 players selected during that time? Cam Taylor-Britt, Zach Carter, Myles Murphy, Jordan Battle, Kris Jenkins, McKinley Jackson, Shemar Stewart, and Demetrius Knight. That kind of poor drafting is the biggest reason this defense continues to be in the situation that it is.

Even with all of that said, there is still an underlying larger problem. That problem is Mike Brown, Katie, Troy Blackburn, and the rest of the family that owns this team. They cannot get out of their own way when it comes to running this team.

Our Vice President of Player Personnel, or Duke Tobin’s theoretical boss, is Paul Brown Jr. Have we ever heard this man speak to the media? What does he actually do? A guy who holds a title like that, yet never has to show any accountability?

That seems like a problem to me.

What has Troy Blackburn done to be the Vice President of the entire football operation? He married Mike’s daughter. That is it. Katie Blackburn often wants to haggle over every penny in a contract negotiation, instead of actually improving the team and keeping locker room leaders.

Wouldn’t it be refreshing to see them step away from the football side of running the Bengals? They need to actually hire a president of football operations and a general manager from outside the organization. Allow those people to be fully in charge of running the football side of things. They would still have plenty to do, day to day, running the business side of it all. They need to keep their influence out of the decisions on player personnel.

No more retaining assistant coaches out of loyalty. Let a general manager have complete control of hiring a new head coach. That way, they are attached to that. They have accountability. No more just keeping a job for 26 years in that role, because the owner and your father were close friends.

Once a head coach is in place, they should have the power to hire their entire staff. Top to bottom, no more keeping this guy and that guy as holdovers. They need real changes throughout the organization. It is time for the family to take a step back from the day-to-day football side of things.

Is it likely that we get any of those real changes from this family? Probably not. I believe they want to win, it is just always on their terms. They have to be the ones taking the credit when a Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase land in their laps. Yet, after two miserable losses and so much locker room drama, where are they to be held accountable for how they have built this roster? They should have to speak to the media more than once or twice a year when they are the ones who have a hand in every football decision that is made.

This fanbase deserves better. It deserves the people with the titles to be held accountable by the media. It deserves a winner. If the family can’t get out of their way, this franchise may never see a Lombardi trophy.

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinn...ization-ownership-front-office-coaching-staff

 

[Cincinnati Bengals]

Cincinnati Bengals 2026 NFL Draft prospects to watch in college football Week 11

(7) BYU at (8) Texas Tech 12:00 p.m. ET​

In a battle of top ten teams BYU heads to Texas Tech. While Texas Tech certainly has more draft-eligible prospects to watch, BYU has some interesting players of their own.

Specifically for the Bengals, I could see them being interested in a player like Isaiah Glasker at the linebacker position. After trading Logan Wilson, the Bengals are fully moving forward with the youth movement at the position. Glasker is a 6’5” 240 240-pound converted safety. He has been a playmaker for the Cougars, not only with his tackling production but also with five interceptions over the past two seasons.

BYU’s Isaiah Glasker just picked off Shedeur and then disrespected Deion Sanders by hitting the Prime celebration dance. Brutal. Absolutely brutal. pic.twitter.com/3dvEhRGr8a

— InAllKindsOfWeather.com (@AllKindsWeather) December 29, 2024

How would you describe the player and the play of Isaiah Glasker to someone that hasn’t seen him play? pic.twitter.com/fUtwy4Js1S

— Ben Criddle (@CriddleBenjamin) September 29, 2025

For Texas Tech, they are loaded on the defensive line. Take your pick between Romello Height, David Bailey, Skyler Gill-Howard, and Lee Hunter as prospects to watch. For this game, I would keep an eye on Lee Hunter. Hunter transferred to Texas Tech from UCF ahead of the 2025 season. Hunter is one of only two players this year with a pass rush win-rate on true pass sets over 17% and a stop rate as a run defender higher than 9.5%.

The other projected top 10 selection is Peter Woods. The Bengals could use a player who can do both on the interior defensive line.

Lee Hunter vs. Colorado pic.twitter.com/LijSKxZUi2

— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) May 17, 2025

(9) Oregon at (20) Iowa 3:30 p.m. ET​

The Cincinnati Bengals could continue trying to invest in the defensive end position. So far, it doesn’t appear they have hit on Myles Murphy. Shemar Stewart is still a rookie, but the early returns are not promising there either. Do they go back to the position again this year? If they do, Matayo Uiagalelei from Oregon is a player that they would typically be interested in. He fits their normal size profile for the position, being 6’5” and 270 pounds.

#Oregon EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei. 6’5, 270.

Powerful striker with long arms. Elite COD + open field pursuit/tackling ability. Physical at the POA. Alignment versatility.

Led the B1G w/ 10.5 sacks. pic.twitter.com/eMNgAuZ41m

— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) May 2, 2025

Iowa has some fun defensive line prospects of their own with Max Llewellyn and Aaron Graves. Graves could be a mid-round player to keep an eye on for Cincinnati. They desperately need to upgrade the pass rush from the interior defensive line. That is the area that Graves could help with. He isn’t the best run defender, but adding some juice to rush the quarterback is a necessity. Graves has been productive rushing the passer with a variety of pass-rushing moves, quick feet, and active hands as a former high school wrestler.

Play of the Day No. 219: Aaron Graves quick win with a swim leads to a sack on Fernando Mendoza (Iowa vs. Indiana, 2025). #POTD pic.twitter.com/syI07Fvtrj

— Sam Teets (@Sam_Teets33) October 10, 2025

(NR) LSU at (4) Alabama 7:30 p.m. ET​

This game has lost a bit of the hype it would normally have, with LSU not being ranked at this point of the season. When these two teams play, you can never count on the other one, though. A fun rivalry SEC night game with NFL draft prospects all over the place.

One of my favorite prospects as a fit for the Cincinnati Bengals from LSU is safety AJ Haulcy. Haulcy is a transfer from Houston. He has been one of the few bright spots game-in and game-out for the Tigers. He has a great build for a safety at 5’11” and 222 pounds. He is instinctive and reliable as a run defender. In addition, he has nine career interceptions.

AJ Haulcy is BIG HITTER and true playmaker at safety pic.twitter.com/hB5zVCDpjC

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) October 30, 2025

For Alabama, I would say Kadyn Proctor is a prospect to watch as a Bengals fan. It isn’t that I want them to draft this player; in fact, it is quite the opposite. This prospect terrifies me as a tackle for the next level. I don’t think he has the foot speed to stick at the position. At 6’7” and 360 pounds, he has the size that the Bengals have traditionally liked for the position. It feels like a pick the Bengals would make to be the heir apparent to Orlando Brown Jr., while setting the franchise back several years in doing so.

You’re never going to be able to sell me on Kadyn Proctor pic.twitter.com/M0EOAozTeO

— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) October 29, 2025

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinn...6-prospects-to-watch-college-football-week-11

 

[Cincinnati Bengals]

Bengals News (11/9): Bye Week Blues

Bengals News​

Stats to Know From The Bengals First Half of 2025

As the Bengals enter their bye week, here are some key numbers to know from the first half of the 2025 season.

Bengals center Ted Karras is behind those Cincy hats. Now he’s got a bag with a purpose

Cincinnati Bengals center Ted Karras and his wife, Rachel Karras, are teaming up with a Cincinnati-based nonprofit and releasing a new product aimed to help human trafficking survivors.

The 40-year-old lifeline: How Joe Flacco has steadied the Bengals’ season

At 40 years old, Joe Flacco has seen everything the NFL can throw at him. The Super Bowl MVP, the journeyman, the late-career backup turned midseason savior — it’s all part of the long, winding story that’s brought him to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bengals aggressively put another team captain in the hot seat to help Joe Burrow in latest 2-round NFL mock draft

Cincinnati lands an offensive lineman in A to Z Sports’ latest NFL mock draft.

Former NFL Quarterback ‘Would Want Out Of Cincinnati’ If He Were Joe Burrow

The star has never hinted at wanting to leave Cincinnati.

NFL News​

NFL Week 10 picks: Upset and score predictions, matchup breakdowns for every game

NFL.com editors Ali Bhanpuri, Tom Blair, Brooke Cersosimo, Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr will predict the winner of every game in the 2025 NFL season, using the unbeatable combo of football analysis and excessive punctuation. Check out their Week 10 NFL picks below.

Jayden Daniels injury update: Commanders star QB gets positive news on dislocated left elbow

Daniels’ elbow appeared to bend in the wrong direction late vs. the Seahawks

Raiders Fire Special Teams Coordinator Tom McMahon After Another Costly Loss

Raiders special teams coordinator Tom McMahon was fired Friday after yet another performance in which the kicking team helped cost Las Vegas a victory.

2025 NFL midseason predictions: Playoff races, MVP, Super Bowl

Thursday night’s Raiders-Broncos game kicked off Week 10, which means we’re officially past the midway point of the 2025 NFL season.

Mac Jones will start for 49ers, with Brock Purdy questionable to dress

The 49ers named Mac Jones as the starter for the sixth consecutive game and the eighth time this season. Starter Brock Purdy is questionable to serve as the backup as he grows closer to returning from turf toe.

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinnati-bengals-news/179956/bengals-news-11-9-bye-week-blues

 

[Cincinnati Bengals]

Updated Betting Odds to win the AFC North

The 2025 NFL season is a little over the halfway point, but things remain murky throughout both conferences. Even in divisions wherein some teams are pulling away, some surprising records are scattered throughout the league, while some other preseason favorites have stumbled out of the gate.

When it comes to the AFC North, quarterback injuries to Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson have caused the Bengals and Ravens to struggle, respectively, while the Steelers have a little bit of an air of overachievement, and the Browns continue to find an identity. Even with perceived record disparity in this division, Cincinnati has a win over both Pittsburgh and Cleveland, while the Steelers hold a two-game lead over the Ravens.

FanDuel, America’s No. 1 Sportsbook, has recently released an updated look at the betting odds for the eventual winner of the division. In a little bit of a surprise, the odds are favoring the 3-5 Ravens with Jackson back in the lineup. Pitts

It appears the oddsmakers like Baltimore’s chances for a late-season surge, with five of their nine remaining games coming against division foes. It includes two matchups apiece against the Steelers and the Bengals, but the other four are also largely against competitive opponents in the Vikings, Packers, and the resurgent Patriots.

Pittsburgh is close behind in the odds, given their 5-3 record, but they also have the Chargers, Bengals, Bears, Bills, Lions, and the Ravens twice to make up the majority of the remainder of their schedule. It would appear that the questions with them reside in Aaron Rodgers’ ability down the stretch, their schedule, and their mixed bag of a first half of the season.

For the Bengals, it all comes down to their defensive collapses—especially the last two weeks. Instead of being 3-6, Cincinnati could very well be 5-4 or 4-5, and it’s still unclear if and when Burrow will be back this season.

Unfortunately for the Browns, it’s a bit more of the same from what they have largely experienced in recent history. They are on their second starting quarterback of the season, currently sit at 2-6, and have a handful of tough remaining opponents—including three divisional games the rest of the way.

What do you think about the AFC North odds and where the Bengals currently sit, according to FanDuel?

Our thanks to FanDuel, America’s No. 1 Sportsbook, for the information, as well as a proud partner of SB Nation and the BLEAV in Cincy podcast channel shows.

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinn...odds-win-the-afc-north-ravens-steelers-browns