The first day of the NFL free agency legal tampering period brought us two new starters to the Cincinnati Bengals. There were reports that Cincinnati would be aggressive in the free agent market to revamp one of the league’s worst defenses in 2025, and those reports proved to be true.
Their first signing was safety Bryan Cook away from the Kansas City Chiefs. Cook was not only the top safety target on the free agent market, but he is also a local product who fills a big need for his hometown team. Cook played high school football at Mt. Healthy High School before playing at the University of Cincinnati. He was then drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft before becoming a very solid safety for them.
Not long after the Cook news came the signing of Seattle Seahawks defensive end Boye Mafe. Mafe’s production has slipped since his nine-sack season in 2023 after scheme changes in Mike MacDonald’s defense, but he brings a ton of upside.
Similar to Trey Hendrickson in 2021, the Bengals are banking on a lesser-known player to blossom in Cincinnati. Mafe’s 118 QB hurries over the last three seasons bring lots to get excited about, especially if he can convert those pressures in to sacks.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the winners and losers from a productive Day of the legal tampering period.
Winners
Al Golden: Golden kept his job after a disaster of a 2025 season. You could call year one a wash if you factor in that it was his first season as an NFL coordinator and he needed to evaluate the roster for his system, maybe. That’s over now. With all of the investments on the offensive side of the ball, the heat will be on Golden to turn things around.
Signing Cook fills one of the biggest needs Golden’s unit had last season. Geno Stone missed 25 tackles in 2025. Cook has missed 22 tackles in his first four seasons in the NFL. That alone will be a massive upgrade, but Cook is also a step up in coverage from Stone.
Jordan Battle: Battle has received strong endorsements from the coaching staff all offseason. As he moves into his second season as the full-time starter, having Cook next to him will likely allow him to not only play more freely, but also allow Golden to be a little more creative with him. With Cook’s coverage ability, he can play more of the deep part of the field, allowing Battle to play more downhill. That is where Battle will excel.
Losers
Shemar Stewart: Signing Mofae for three years and $60 million signals that the Bengals expect him to play real snaps from the start. After Stewart’s rookie season was filled with an offseason contract dispute and missing time to injury, Mofae may keep him off the field more than you would expect for a player who was drafted 17th overall.
Stewart does have the potential to play inside on true passing downs, and the Bengals will rotate their defensive ends a bit, so Stewart won’t be banished to the bench all season, but the addition of Mofae will cut down his true pass-rushing opportunities.
Geno Stone: Stone was a free agent and likely wasn’t coming back anyway, but Cook’s signing slams the door for any return shut. Stone isn’t hitting the market with much good tape from his time in Cincinnati, either. With Cook in and Stone out, he will be looking for his next home without the (small) possibility of a return.
After the first day of the Tampering Period, the Bengals have +3300 odds to win the Super Bowl on FanDuel Sportsbook.
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