The Cincinnati Bengals recently announced that they are running it back with all of the major figureheads in place for 2026. While that may not be music to the ears for some, a couple of those leadership staples addressed the media this week to share thoughts about 2025 and the vision going forward.
The team’s de facto General Manager, Duke Tobin, spoke on Friday about a number of topics, one of which was the status of the roster going forward. Cincinnati’s defense has had struggles in recent years, but some growth was seen from younger players towards the end of this season.
In his press conference, Tobin outlined a few players on defensive coordinator Al Golden’s unit that he holds in high regard in the years ahead.
This nugget leaves a lot to unpack. DJ Turner played at a Pro Bowl level this year, racking up two interceptions and a whopping 18 passes defended. Dax Hill stepped up in a variety of ways in 2026, while Jordan Battle led the team with four interceptions.
Myles Murphy also shined with increased playing time this year, leading the team with 5.5 sacks. While the future is uncertain with Trey Hendrickson, Tobin appears to be pleased with who they currently have under contract at defensive end, though mentioned the importance of pass rush in his presser.
Now, the “need leaders” tidbit is another eye-opening quote. After the defense was experiencing historic failures this year, a “players-only” meeting was held. While the unit picked things up at the end of the year, questions lingered on who led this meeting, and Tobin’s comments reinforce those questions.
Regardless, the other facet to the comment stems in where these leaders will be found. It’s possible the Bengals go heavy in outside free agency again this offseason as they did in 2020-2021 (not coincidentally leading to two great consecutive seasons in 2021-2022), but they will undoubtedly be eyeing leadership qualities.
In many draft instances, Tobin and Zac Taylor have opted for players who have had team captain statuses and high character. The team may go back to that path again with more emphasis this offseason.
Regardless, there are valuable, young pieces on the defense, but a big influx of talent and leadership on the defensive side of the ball will be a high priority for the Bengals this offseason.
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