The Cincinnati Bengals are under fire from all directions right now after the playoff miss despite Joe Burrow’s MVP-like efforts, the Triple Crown triumph for Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson leading the NFL in sacks.
Logan Paul, of all people, is the latest to take a shot at the Bengals.
On the February 24 edition of WWE’s Raw, Paul hit a Cincinnati crowd with the following: “You guys waste talent, just look at what you did to Joe Burrow.”
RELATED: Bengals must make tough calls on these cut candidates after Sheldon Rankins move
Disclaimer, of course — Paul is playing the heel (bad guy) and trying to get the crowd to boo him.
To say it worked, though, would be an understatement:
“You guys waste talent, look what you did to Joe Burrow”
Logan Paul #WWERAW pic.twitter.com/wP0G1B00em
— The Movement – Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) February 25, 2025
Even though it’s just an act (well, sort of, anyway) from Paul, the comment hit on a sour note for fans.
Overall, it speaks to the perception of the Bengals right now, too. While stuff like this happens, Burrow himself has been out in public campaigning his own team to stop letting great players get away, something most franchise quarterbacks don’t have to do.
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J.J. Watt isn’t backing down from his friendly wager that could force him out of retirement to join the Cincinnati Bengals.
For those out of the loop, Watt, a partial owner of Burnley F.C., agreed to a wager with goalkeeper James Trafford about consecutive clean sheets. If the sheets remain blank, Watt would go join Trafford’s Bengals.
The bet is starting to get a lot more attention, to say the least. Watt just popped up on the “Dan Patrick Show” and confirmed he’d uphold his end of the bargain, if possible.
“I’ll do it,” Watt said. “If he does that, which is insane, we have 12 or 13 games left. If he does it it’s insane enough and respectful enough that I will go out there and follow through. Who knows if they even want me? I haven’t talked to them, but I’m in shape I’ll go play.”
RELATED: Bengals must make tough calls on these cut candidates after Sheldon Rankins move
We’re still a long way from finding out if this happens—another 12 clean sheets is nearly impossible, after all.
But Watt admitted that he never filed retirement paperwork, so technically speaking, the Arizona Cardinals still have his rights.
But that’s getting ahead of things on this topic…right?
.@JJWatt says he’ll absolutely follow through with his bet to come out of retirement and play for the #Bengals if James Trafford doesn’t allow another goal for the rest of the season.
The only question? Would the Bengals want him?
Care to comment, @Bengals? pic.twitter.com/d7QY5xPk88
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) February 25, 2025
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Gesicki was an important target for Joe Burrow in 2024 and has now earned a nice payday.
Mike Gesicki won’t be the latest of the one-and-done tight ends for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Instead, the Bengals rewarded Gesicki with a three-year deal worth up to a reported $25.5 million. That includes a reported $12 million Gesicki will collect in 2025.
This was after the Bengals signed the veteran to a one-year deal worth a mere $2.5 million in the 2024 offseason.
Now, Gesicki has commented on his new deal while acknowledging that everyone in the Queen City has the same mission: To help this team compete for a Super Bowl.
“Everybody’s goal in Cincinnati is to compete for a championship, and that’s another reason I wanted to come back,” said Gesicki via Bengals.com senior writer Geoff Hobson.
Gesicki also called his new agreement “a life-changing day for me and my family” while thanking the Brown family.
“The Bengals have done some incredible things for me, and I’m grateful to Mike Brown, Katie (Blackburn), and the front office for getting together and getting something done,” said Gesicki.
From C.J. Uzomah to Hayden Hurst to Irv Smith Jr., the Bengals haven’t had a consistent safety net at the tight end position for Burrow. While he didn’t have a career-best season, Gesicki did go for 665 yards in 2024, which was his top year since 2021.
Gesicki spent his first five seasons with the Miami Dolphins before playing for the New England Patriots and then the Bengals.
He really turned it on over the last few weeks when the Bengals were in must-win positions for their playoff aspirations. Gesicki had 86 yards on 10 receptions in Week 17, then 68 yards on eight receptions in Week 18, both wins for Cincinnati.
With a 78.3% catch rate, Gesicki has earned the trust of Burrow, and he might be primed for his best season yet in 2025.
Be sure to check out Gesicki’s full interview with Bengals.com.
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Gesicki had an up-and-down career before he landed in Cincinnati, but he’s finally getting paid.
Mike Gesicki was at one point looked at as one of the NFL’s best receiving tight ends.
However, following multiple down years, he signed a low money one year deal with Cincinnati for $2.5 million.
After a bounce-back year with Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals rewarded Gesicki with a big-money contract extension for three years and $25.5 million.
It just so happens to exactly match the amount of money that Gesicki made in the prior seven years of his career before he got his big deal.
Back in 2018, Gesicki was drafted in the second round to Miami as a receiving tight end, and he had a rookie year to forget with poor blocking and middling receiving production. By the end of his four-year rookie contract, however, he had two back-to-back seasons with 700+ receiving yards, and when Miami couldn’t reach a long-term, they had no choice but to use the franchise tag, giving him a big one-year payout of nearly 11 million and over 17 million in career earnings.
Unfortunately for Gesicki, his style of play did not mesh well with new head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense. This resulted in his worst production since his rookie season.
Following that, Gesicki attempted to rehab his value on a one-year deal worth $4.5 million with the New England Patriots. However, with near-worst in-the-league quarterback play from Bailey Zappe and Mac Jones, Gesickis's value only fell further. After this, he made the right decision and signed a deal to play with Joe Burrow to rehab his value.
Now, Gesicki gets the deal he likely deserved all along and will continue playing with Burrow. There is no reason he can’t play up to it. The fact that it matches exactly his previous earnings is a fun fact and a nice reminder that sometimes players can bounce back when given the opportunity and situation to succeed.
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Another star joins the AFC North, and another contract for Tee Higgins to aim for.
There’s a big shakeup coming in the wide receiver hierarchy of the AFC North.
According to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, the Pittsburgh Steelers have made a trade for Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl wideout DK Metcalf for a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
In addition, the Steelers are giving Metcalf a five-year contract extension worth $150 million. He was entering the final year of his current deal.
This is big news for the Cincinnati Bengals, as they’ll now have another star player to contend with when they face Pittsburgh, who will have George Pickens lining up across from Metcalf.
It’s also a similar contract to what Tee Higgins is going to command. The rumor mill has had him potentially getting an extension that will pay him $30 million annually, which is what Metcalf just got in the new years on his contract.
Be sure to go follow our Twitter page and then ‘like’ our Facebook page to get all of the latest Cincinnati Bengals news, views, and more fun stuff. Who Dey!
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Will the Bengals put their money where their mouth is and keep this offense together for the long term?
The Cincinnati Bengals and Tee Higgins have had a long, drawn-out contract saga.
It goes back to last year when they franchise-tagged Higgins without any intention of trying to extend him to a long-term contract. They tagged him again this offseason with the hopes of doing exactly that after no young wide receiver has stepped up to look like a compliment to Ja'Marr Chase.
Now, Higgins is holding all the cards in negotiations. His agent and he knows Joe Burrow have pushed for him to be taken care of and given a contract to keep him around. He also just played on the franchise tag, and there is no way to keep him from the open market next season.
While they likely could have had Higgins sign a contract with an APY closer to $23 or $25 million last year they likely have to get to that $30 million mark this offseason with the way the market is going.
Higgins and the Bengals haven't had the best time getting to a point of agreement, and the franchise has also fumbled negotiations with Chase.
The question now is whether this deal will get done. The sooner they can the sooner they can get the roughly $26 million against the cap reduced that the franchise tag brings. That creates room for more possible moves, so it’s really a win-win for both sides.
Will the Bengals get the deal done? Sound off in the poll below and in the comments section!
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Bengals landed Oren Burks and TJ Slaton while re-signing several of their own.
The Cincinnati Bengals have made quite a bit of moves on the first day of free agency.
The Bengals brought back BJ Hill, Joseph Ossai, and a familiar face in Samaje Perine. The Bengals also brought in TJ Slaton and Oren Burks to help bolster the defensive side of the football as well.
The moves are likely not done yet, as the Bengals still need to address the guard position and more help on the defensive line, but this is a decent first day of free agency.
It has been an active day across the NFL, as expected, but the Bengals have made some reasonable moves in the first full swing.
Let’s see how the Bengals community on Twitter responded to all the signings today:
Oren Burks stepped in and played well during the Eagles Super Bowl run.
Could be an underrated signing.
Some of his impact playspic.twitter.com/k4xzw9UvMC
— Patrick Carey (@PatCareySports) March 10, 2025
The work is nowhere near done yet, but the Bengals are actively working to improve the defense for new DC Al Golden.
These reasonable deals could also show that the team is working around the potential extensions of Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase on the offensive side of the football as well, but we will see.
Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
This is what happens when you habitually play the waiting game.
Everything is for sale. The Browns proved that this past weekend by buying Myles Garrett’s will to win football games. He said he wanted out. He said nothing would change his mind. He threatened to sit out.
Then, he became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Funny how that works.
What does this have to do with the Cincinnati Bengals? Well, it shouldn’t have anything to do with them—but unfortunately, they’ve allowed other teams’ business to dictate their own ability to retain key players.
Ja’Marr Chase should have been extended after his third season before the 2025 season raised his price. Instead, he played through the year on his rookie deal and won the rare Triple Crown, skyrocketing his value. Now, Garrett’s contract just set the market even higher for him.
Then there’s Tee Higgins. Both sides have expressed a desire to get a deal done, but the Bengals front office dragged its feet. In the meantime, a division rival just traded for DK Metcalf and paid him $33 million a year. Higgins’ price tag just went up.
And then there’s Trey Hendrickson. He wants to stay in Cincinnati—if the Bengals pay him. He led the league in sacks in 2024 and has been one of the best free-agent signings in franchise history. Yes, he’s on the wrong side of 30, but he’s showing no signs of slowing down. Yet the Raiders just extended Maxx Crosby for $106 million over three years, with $91 million fully guaranteed.
Hendrickson will want more. The Bengals will refuse to pay. Nobody wins.
The Bengals put their own players in a situation where they have to bet on themselves while the franchise bets against them.
Had the Bengals taken the initiative and extended their stars early, I’d be writing about something else right now. But this is the reality. The Bengals, despite all their aesthetic changes, still negotiate with their own players in bad faith.
Now, they’ll have to give Chase even more money than they originally planned, they’ll likely have to pay Higgins more than he ever asked for, and they’ll probably lose Hendrickson entirely.
Had they locked in both Higgins and Chase when they could, both would likely be under contract right now, saving the team roughly $10 million. That’s money that could go toward a starting guard, a pass rusher, or a cornerback. Instead, they played hardball, and now they’ll pay for it—one way or another.
The Urgency of Now
This is a massive week for the Bengals. They don’t have the draft capital to fill all their roster holes—on both sides of the ball. They need to replace both guards. They need to replace Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. They have little depth at every level of the defense.
They not only need to nail the draft, but they need to spend like it’s going out of style. They have the cap space to do whatever they need, but will they?
They didn’t in 2024, and it cost them dearly.
They wasted an MVP-worthy season from Joe Burrow. They wasted Chase’s Triple Crown year. They wasted Hendrickson leading the league in sacks—all for a 9-8 record. Less talented teams played in the postseason while the Bengals watched from home.
The Bengals’ 2024 season should go down as one of the most epic front-office collapses in NFL history. If they don’t go all out right now, 2025 could be another wasted year.
The term “strike while the iron is hot” exists for a reason. With Burrow at the peak of his powers, Chase in his prime, and (hopefully) Higgins back, the iron has never been hotter.
This isn’t the time for bargain-bin free agency, reclamation projects, or aging veterans looking for a second or third shot.
They need a 2021-level free-agency haul (Hendrickson, Mike Hilton, Chidobe Awuzie, Larry Ogunjobi) to avoid being desperate in the draft. If they’re serious about winning a Super Bowl—if they want to prove it to us and their own players—they need to go all in.
Because at the end of the day, the salary cap isn’t even real.
Relevant Song Lyrics:
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried it, is merely survived
If you’re standing outside the fire.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jenkins is one of the best offensive linemen to hit free agency this year, and several teams are in pursuit.
Update: James Rapien reports that the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks are also vying for Teven Jenkins.
Will the Bengals be able to get this done?
The Cincinnati Bengals are in desperate need of help at offensive guard, so it comes as no surprise to hear they’re showing interest in one of the best to hit free agency this year.
According to The Cincinnati Enquirer's Kelsey Conway, the Bengals are showing interest in Chicago Bears guard Teven Jenkins.
Originally a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Jenkins has developed into one of the NFL’s best guards over the last three seasons. He’s earned PFF grades of 80.7 in 2022, 72.6 in 2023, and 75.4 this past season. He’s started games at both guard spots but spent the 2024 season at left guard.
Jenkins would be a big-time pickup for a Bengals team that has a major weakness at both guard spots. Let’s see if they can get a deal done.
Be sure to follow our Twitter page and then ‘like’ our Facebook page for more Bengals news. And Who DEY!
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What can we expect from the Bengals at the opening of the new league year?
The new league year will start at 4 PM ET today, and the Cincinnati Bengals still have plenty of work to do.
First things first, they will officially be able to finalize deals with free agents from other teams like TJ Slaton and Oren Burks, Some nice additions to the defense that sorely needed it.
More importantly, it is a great day to get Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins signed to long-term deals. It would also be nice to have some resolution with the Trey Hendrickson saga, but that seems like we have quite a ways till that has any sort of clean ending.
Here is the big news for the Bengals and NFL.
Hall of Fame Honors Bengals' Original Equipment Manager Tom Gray
"Tom was popular among our people," Brown recalls of the Bengals' original equipment manager. "Not only the administration people and the players, but Reds players, too. I seem to remember Johnny Bench in there."
Mike Gesicki's Perfect Fit; Cody Ford Eyes Starting Spot | QUICK HITS
"They've given me all the opportunities to see what I can do," said Ford as he begins his third season in Cincinnati, "and I think they'll give me a true shot to be a starter."
Reports: Streaking Joseph Ossai Returns To Edge As Bengals Invest In Revamped Defense
Four of Ossai's career-high five sacks came in the Bengals' end-of-season five-game winning streak, and he had at least half a sack in six of the last seven games during a year he played a career-high 51% of the snaps.
'Single-Worst Game Plan' - The Ringer's Bill Simmons Calls Out Bengals
"And a lot of people have been talking about this this week, but they're just f***** because they have to take care of [Ja'Marr] Chase. They franchise tag [Tee] Higgins. He'll probably hold out. [Trey] Hendrickson wants a trade. And then in the middle of this, they paid $8 million a year for Mike Gesicki.”
Ja'Marr Chase appears to send message to Bengals during free agency
That "worth" keeps going up, too. The Bengals took some heat this week when Myles Garrett in Cleveland got a contract extension that helped him average more than $40 million per year to become the highest-paid non-passer in the NFL.
NFL insider slams Bengals for not getting a deal done with Ja'Marr Chase
"The Bengals did it to [Ja'Marr Chase] twice. First of all, they should've done Ja'Marr Chase last year, they were close. I believe they got hung up on guaranteed money, like which now you're like 'Ugh!'," Battista said.
Look: Contract Details Surface For Bengals Defensive Additions Oren Burks, Marco Wils
Burks is set to make $5 million in base value over the next two seasons, with $750,000 guaranteed. His salary splits are $1.4 million and $1.69 million while getting $750,000 on the fifth day of the 2025 league year.
Bengals express interest in one of free agency's top remaining guards
Jenkins, 27, is a former second-round pick and one of the top remaining names at his position on the open market, at least during the free agency tampering period. Last season, Jenkins ranked 18th out of 135 guards at PFF and had a 75.8 pass-blocking grade (15th).
Bengals had near-miss with prized target in free agency
A former second-round pick and still just 24 years old, Ojulari spent his first four seasons with the Giants and hasn't played more than 60 percent of his defense's snaps since his rookie year in 2021.
Bengals' 2025 NFL Draft picks finalized after receiving news they were very much expecting
This does not come as a surprise considering how the compensatory pick formula works. Clubs have to lose more free agents of qualifying monetary value than they gain the previous year in free agency. The Bengals added more free agents that qualified than they lost in 2024, including Sheldon Rankins, Geno Stone, and Trent Brown.
Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There is some good, but not nearly enough for all the talk.
The Cincinnati Bengals aren't known for blowing the doors off the hinges to get off to a fast start in free agency. However, it has still been a very frustrating free agency period so far.
The team has gotten deals done to bring back the likes of tight end Mike Gesecki, defensive tackle BJ Hill, and a couple of young defensive ends in Joseph Ossai and Cam Sample. The team went out and added defensive tackle DJ Slaton to improve a poor run defense and linebacker Oren Burks, who is a good tackler and also good in coverage.
The big issue isn't the lack of splash. It is a lack of action keeping three of their most important players happy and locked in for the long term. The deals for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins should have been done prior to free agency to clear space, and the team has also allowed Trey Hendrickson to seek a trade after leading the league in sacks as the team's only threat as a pass rusher.
Having none of those deals done is glaring, especially after Joe Burrow told anyone who would listen that he wants to see those guys get contracts.
This is before we get into the fact that the guard position is still a huge issue, with it gearing up to be a competition between Cody Ford and Cordell Volson to start at left guard and still a TBD player at right guard. We saw a perfect illustration of needing to be able to protect your quarterback in the Super Bowl, but the Bengals are dragging their feet to protect their franchise.
It is far from a hot start, but they haven't been inactive. What grade would you give the team?
And of course, Who Dey!!
Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images
More defensive moves.
Another day of NFL free agency is on deck, so come check out today’s news, and chat about everything in today’s open thread!
Bengals News
B.J. Hill Signs Up For Three More Years With Eye To Five More: ‘Plenty Left In The Tank’
Since running mate Larry Ogunjobi was lost for the postseason in the 2021 Wild Card Game, Hill has pretty much played a strong majority of the snaps for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Bengals Bringing Back Familiar Face After Unfortunate Injury
The 25-year-old has 68 tackles and five sacks in 47 career games. He brings the Bengals some versatility on their defensive front and can play inside and on the edge.
Bengals Sign Joe Burrow Bodyguard in Free Agency Prediction
The top remaining offensive lineman on the market is a dream fit for a few ailing units across the league, but it’s impossible not to name Cincinnati here,” Ian Valentino wrote.
Teams ‘Turned Off’ by Bengals’ Asking Price for Trey Hendrickson
Since the Bengals missed the playoffs last season with a 9-8 record and no player on the roster other than Hendrickson had more than five sacks, trading Hendrickson would create a hole that may be impossible to fill before the start of the 2025 season.
Mike Gesicki comfortable paying ‘Joe Burrow tax’ to stay in Cincinnati
“I definitely knew that I was going to take the ‘Joe Burrow tax,’“ Gesicki said, referring to a discount needed to stay, via the Dayton Daily News.
Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp officially released
The release, which became official on Wednesday, is no surprise. From the moment Kupp himself announced that the Rams were trying to trade him, it seemed like an impossibility. No one would be taking on his $20 million compensation package, and Kupp had no reason to take less to facilitate a deal.
Aaron Rodgers a free agent for first time
Rodgers’ release from the Jets was a mere formality. On Feb. 13, the team announced its intention to release Rodgers, which allowed him to start speaking with other teams. Rodgers, 41, hasn’t publicly commented since the Jets made their decision to move on after two seasons.
Cowboys acquiring former first-rounders Kaiir Elam, Kenneth Murray in separate trades
Murray was selected 23rd overall by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 and played four years with the Bolts before starting 14 games and tallying 95 tackles for the Titans last season. In his career, Murray has tallied 416 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 12 pass breakups.
Jets release five-time Pro Bowler C.J. Mosley
The 32-year-old joined the Jets ahead of the 2019 season and played in 56 total games, with 55 starts, for Gang Green in five years of play. He sat out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mac Jones, 49ers agree to terms on 2-year deal
Jones was selected 15th in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama, where he won two College Football Playoff national championships. During the lead-up to that draft, he was heavily rumored to a favorite of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan with San Francisco poised to draft a quarterback with the No. 3 pick.
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Could the Bengals actually extend Trey?
The Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson appear to be working on a long-term solution to keep the elite pass rusher in the Queen City.
While things haven’t looked good for a while, leading to Hendrickson being given permission to seek a trade, we did finally get some slightly good news from NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo (via PHNX Sports).
“You’re starting to hear a little bit more about how Hendrickson wants to be in Cincinnati, and Hendrickson wants to make it work, and all of a sudden, it’s like...ok, this could pivot back the other way,” said Garafolo.
Free agency has done no favors for the Bengals, who might have to pay Tee Higgins more after players like DK Metcalf and Davante Adams were able to get their new contracts agreed upon.
Others, like Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, have helped reset the non-quarterback market, of which Hendrickson is part of.
The reported asking price for Hendrickson does seem a bit ridiculous in nature, especially when considering the veteran is now 30 years old. However, the Bengals know his value, and he could be the difference between winning a Super Bowl and not for some franchises.
We shall see.
