News Bengals Team Notes

[Cincinnati Bengals]

Bengals pass on Caleb Downs for Rueben Bain Jr. in Todd McShay’s first 2026 NFL Mock Draft

Outside of Myles Murphy, the Cincinnati Bengals don’t have a ton of security at pass rusher.

For that reason, Todd McShay has the Bengals selecting Rueben Bain Jr. out of Miami in the first round of his 2026 NFL Mock Draft.

Here is what the Draft analyst wrote:

Bain’s production dipped for a few games in the middle of the year, but watching him over the past month (especially in the first two rounds of the CFP) has reminded NFL teams of how impactful this dude could be at the next level.

Yes, he has short arms. And yes, some scouts have mentioned a 3-technique role as an option in the NFL. But there aren’t many more disruptive and impactful defensive players in the country. His 8.5 sacks this season ranks tied for 23rd in the FBS, so we’re not talking about marginal sack production. Furthermore, he ranks third (minimum 100 pass-rush snaps) among P4 edge rushers with a 23.7 pass-rush win rate.

While Murphy showed a lot of promise this season, there’s no one else the Bengals can confidently rely on as the second starting edge rusher. There’s a chance the team will place the franchise tag on Trey Hendrickson, but that would be just a one-year deal.

Does the team actually believe in Shemar Stewart, Cedric Johnson, and impending free agent Joseph Ossai if he’s brought back?

The real concern, for now, is at safety, where both spots could use a significant upgrade. That’s why it’s a bit surprising to see McShay pass on Ohio State All-American Caleb Downs, who’s been a popular mock draft target for the Bengals when he’s not selected higher.

You can check out the pass rush specialist’s highlights below:

What say you? If the Bengals’ current roster were what they had heading into the draft, would you select Caleb Downs or Rueben Bain Jr.? Sound off in the comments section!

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinn...-mcshay-first-2026-nfl-mock-draft-caleb-downs

 

[Cincinnati Bengals]

Possible Bengals draft target Caleb Downs enters 2026 NFL Draft

As it currently stands, the Cincinnati Bengals hold the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft. The 2026 season was a major disappointment for the team and they have a lot of roster holes to fill in the months of March and April.

One very intriguing prospect in an offseason wherein the Bengals’ defense needs major retooling is Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. He is projected to be a top-10 pick in this class, and one of the best overall talents.

On Wednesday, the star Buckeyes defender officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.

PT. 3 Loading pic.twitter.com/Dj6DoXSH9m

— Caleb Downs (@caleb_downs2) January 7, 2026

Downs started his collegiate career at Alabama, and racked up two interceptions, 107 total tackles (70 solo), four passes, and 3.5 tackles for loss. He received SEC Freshman of the year, First-Team All-SEC and Second-Team All-American honors for his great season.

After transferring to Ohio State in 2024 and into this season, Downs received back-to-back unanimous All-American designations, as well as two Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year nods to go with a Buckeyes National Championship. The awards really came rolling in this year, as he was the winner of the Jim Thorpe Award, the Lott Trophy, and was tabbed as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Downs had four total interceptions, 12.5 total tackles for loss and 94 tackles in 2024 and 2025.

Downs is currently ranked as Pro Football Focus’ top overall prospect in the class, while he’s sixth on ESPN’s big board and No. 9 via CBS Sports. It’s possible that Downs will be available at No. 10 for the Bengals because of the league’s preference of other positions, but his overall talent regardless of where he plays could see him go before Cincinnati goes on the clock.

The Bengals could use an upgrade in their defensive backfield this offseason. Since coming over in free agency, Geno Stone has struggled overall with the Bengals, despite recent open support from defensive coordinator Al Golden.

Cincinnati’s defense has seen a steep decline because of roster attrition, including the departure of Jessie Bates III at safety. Bates was known as a great communicator and helped to align the players in front of him successfully.

Downs would no doubt be a game-changer for the Bengals and comes from a great football lineage (his father played and is a coach, while his uncle is former Pro Bowl defensive back Dre Bly). However, the Bengals have only used two first-round picks on the safety position since 1992—Dax Hill in 2022 (who is now a cornerback) and Darryl Williams in 1992. Both were selected towards the end of the first round.

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinn...-targets-safety-ohio-state-buckeyes-prospects

 

[Cincinnati Bengals]

The Trey Hendrickson era with the Cincinnati Bengals is coming to an end

For the past two summers, star defensive end Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals have been at odds with a long-term extension. Hendrickson had a brief holdout of early 2024 workouts, but put it aside, only to have a historic season.

In 2025, Hendrickson’s contract impasse was more pronounced and received much more national attention after his 17.5-sack campaign. After sitting out training camp, Hendrickson returned shortly before the regular season after a pay bump for 2025. Unfortunately, he was injured in Week 6 and didn’t appear in another game after Week 8 versus the Jets.

As the Bengals enter offseason mode, Hendrickson is the biggest question to tackle. Zac Taylor recently spoke of “a path” for Hendrickson to remain a Bengal, but more and more reports are surfacing that the odds of Hendrickson returning to Cincinnati in 2026 seems to be almost laughable.

Paul Dehner, Jr. of The Athletic recently shared some thoughts about the relationship status of the two sides, and, spoiler alert: it isn’t pretty.

Zac Taylor was asked about there being a path to Hendrickson coming back this week and said, “There’s always a path.” He said that because he had to, because there is no path here. It’s actually kind of funny envisioning what the real-life version of that path would be. My best answer would be to Google the Darien Gap. Bridges have been set on fire here, so there’s no realistic return to Cincinnati for 2026 in the plans. When they let him walk, the team would likely receive a 2027 third-round compensatory pick.

Chance of return: 1 percent

Even if the 2024 mini-holdout was water-under-the-bridge for Hendrickson, the 2025 holdout bore obvious frustrations. He saw other offensive stars get big paydays (deservedly so), believed he was also due for a big raise, and got only a fraction of what he deserved this year.

From the Bengals’ side of things, this screams of a scenario wherein the brain trust will likely feel they were justified in not giving him a long-term extension due to Hendrickson’s 2025 injury. Their hesitancy in doling out another big deal to Hendrickson was largely attributed to his age (he’ll be 32 in December).

Other national insiders are also noting the gap between the parties, so it appears that the big question is around the franchise tag. Will the Bengals continue to frustrate Hendrickson and place it on him in an effort to recoup some capital, or will they allow him to enter the open market without protecting themselves?

Even if it irks Hendrickson, Cincinnati engaging in a tag-and-trade scenario is the wisest and most likely “path,” given the reports. They could keep him on the tag and give him another solid pay raise for 2026, but with Hendrickson lobbying for a long-term deal, we could see another holdout should this be the chosen route.

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinn...hendrickson-era-end-nfl-free-agents-edge-2026

 

[Cincinnati Bengals]

Bengals News (1/8): Dan Pitcher Watch

AFC North rival shows interest in messing up Zac Taylor’s plan for Bengals coaching continuity

Pitcher has been Cincinnati’s OC since 2024. He was promoted from quarterbacks coach, the job he held from 2020-23, after former OC Brian Callahan left to become the HC of the Tennessee Titans. Callahan was fired by Tennessee during the 2025 season.

The Envelope Please: Bengals.com 2025 Awards

The best player in the NFL. Hands down. Hands up. One hand. Two hands. Doesn’t matter. With 125 catches and 1,412 yards in this season of three quarterbacks, an array of gadget defenses and a new captain’s C, he kept churning gold-jacket numbers with blue-collar efficiency.

Joe Burrow Shares Classy Postgame Message With Shedeur Sanders After Bengals’ Loss to Browns

“You’re fun to watch,” Burrow said after shaking Sanders’ hand on the field following the loss. “You’re fun to watch. Look forward to watching you next year.”

Mel Kiper gets it right for Bengals in first mock draft

Enter Caleb Downs, the extremely talented Ohio State safety, who possesses the skills to potentially be an elite deep safety. He’s an ideal fit for the Bengals defense and is already one of the most-popular picks for the team in mock drafts across the media landscape.

Source: https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinnati-bengals-news/184588/bengals-news-1-8-dan-pitcher-watch