On Monday, the Cincinnati Bengals struck free agency with a bit of force, agreeing to contracts with both safety Bryan Cook and versatile defensive lineman Boye Mafe on the first day of the legal tampering period. It was met with positive reviews, but the following two days were not only silent in terms of Cincinnati signing outside free agents, but also hugely overshadowed by the Trey Hendrickson/Ravens saga.
The team went back to work on Thursday and had another solid day. One announced transaction was the re-signing of a valuable in-house player in Orlando Brown Jr., while the team made a bit of a splash with an outside acquisition in decorated veteran Jonathan Allen.
There are players the Bengals allowed to sign elsewhere in free agency who seemed like good scheme fits, but in truth, they have historically done the bulk of their outside free agency work in waves two and three. Allen fits that mold, and Cincinnati is continuing its work for the days ahead.
As we look at Thursday’s announced transactions, there are some players—currently rostered with Cincinnati or not—who will be affected. Let’s have a look at the winners and losers of these two particular transactions.
Winners
Dylan Fairchild
The second-year guard played well for the Bengals last year and is on his way to becoming a solid starting guard. Knowing that a well-decorated veteran is under contract for the next couple of years, on whom he can continue to lean, has to be a relief.
Plus, as we know at all levels of football, continuity is key. Brown is an immense presence on and off the football field, so having a semblance of stability with him seemingly locked up toward the end of his career benefits many—Fairchild being one of the main benefactors.
Joe Burrow
While Brown hasn’t been the same player he was in Baltimore and Kansas City since arriving in Cincinnati, he’s provided a lot of stability on the offensive line. Prior to his 2023 free agency signing, Burrow suffered under a revolving door of offensive linemen—largely subpar ones.
He has to be relieved that the team has locked up Brown through 2027, bringing that massive physical presence on the line for the next couple of years. Brown is his blindside guy, and with the sway Burrow seemingly has with the front office, one has to feel that he gave some semblance of a “stamp of approval” on this move.
Chase Brown
The fourth-year running back enjoyed his most successful pro season in 2025, logging career highs in rushing yards, receiving yards, receptions, and yards-per-carry average. As the line gelled with Brown toward the back end of the season, we saw an uptick in Brown’s statistical performance.
Two of his 100-yard rushing games came between Weeks 11–17, as did four of his six rushing touchdowns. He was also a big weapon in the passing game in that stretch, logging four of his five receiving touchdowns. While that’s a group effort up front, Brown was a staple in these dynamic performances.
B.J. Hill
One may only need to look at Hill’s X account for his glee about the Allen signing. While the veteran defensive tackle has had some huge plays for the Bengals since his arrival back in 2021, it’s no secret that he thrives on rotations and/or lining up in certain situations with a player having a similar skill set (see Larry Ogunjobi in 2021).
It remains to be seen just how much juice is left in Allen’s tank, but a large nose tackle (TJ Slaton and McKinnley Jackson) paired with a duo of interior players who possess pass-rush ability sounds oddly familiar to the 2021–2022 paths to Bengals success.
Boye Mafe
Of course he’s a winner for the lucrative contract, but also for the reasons mentioned above with Hill. Allen commanded a lot of double-teams last year, and whether or not that’s the case again in 2026, Mafe should have available rushing lanes. He’s also returning to a more high-profile role with the Bengals than he had in 2025 with the Seahawks.
Jordan Battle
One may see the signing of a safety and wonder why another is on the “winners” list. Well, Battle is a guy the Bengals’ staff really likes, and Cook is a steady veteran set to flank him.
Battle has been taking incremental pro steps toward the end of the past couple of years, and Cook is a great mentor. Battle was the team leader in interceptions (four) and tackles (128), but also missed 21 attempts. A sure tackler like Cook, who also brings high football IQ, should continue to raise Battle’s level of play.
Shemar Stewart
Stewart is perhaps the Bengals’ biggest wild card this year. If he takes steps toward ascension with a full offseason program, this whole defensive unit will improve dramatically.
Again, Allen’s addition to a rotation up front helps Stewart. His explosiveness, strength, and size will allow Golden to vary his pass-rush looks, which could free him up to make more plays in his second season.
TJ Slaton
The big boy in the middle of the defense began to get his footing late last year, along with the rest of the defense. As with Hill, having a rotational interior line presence in Allen should allow him to show more of his run-stopping abilities. And while he was mentioned as a cap casualty candidate by media outlets, it looks like Slaton will remain in Cincinnati under his current contract since the Bengals haven’t pursued a nose-tackle type lineman.
Al Golden
Yes, Leo Chenal, Bradley Chubb, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Dre Greenlaw, and many others have come off the free agency board, but the second-year defensive coordinator has seen the team spend a good amount of resources on his side of the ball. Mafe and Cook were early predictions and seem to fit very nicely after Golden basically pleaded for the team to add veteran talent on defense.
Not only did they add talent (you can discredit imperfect players if that’s your thing), but they also added veteran leadership. Mafe brings a Super Bowl ring with him, while Cook has two of his own, and Allen has a solid résumé on and off the field. If the Bengals are going to continue to rely on a lot of young players, the additions of Cook, Mafe, and Allen are a great infusion of leadership.
Jerry Montgomery
It will be interesting to see just how Golden and the Bengals use Mafe, but Montgomery has to be pleased with this offseason’s additions. After netting a familiar face in Slaton from the Packers last year (Montgomery was their previous defensive line coach), Montgomery gets Mafe and Allen to bolster his positional unit.
Scott Peters
When your franchise’s left tackle signs an extension to protect one of the game’s best quarterbacks, you’re stoked. The Brown extension, stacked on the Dalton Risner one-year deal, gives Peters a veteran group with good potential. It also opens up a myriad of possibilities for the Bengals in both the first and second rounds.
Duke Tobin
Many (myself included) were about ready to bring the pitchforks and torches to the doors of Paycor Stadium after Wednesday night. But they like to move at their own pace, and the team made some solid announcements on Thursday.
We have yet to see the absolute full scope of how Brown’s extension impacts this year’s cap, but it did provide team flexibility to sign some impact guys. More is to come, but after a solid first day of free agency, Tobin and the Bengals had a pretty solid end to the week to kick off wave two.
Losers
McKinnley Jackson and Kris Jenkins Jr.
It’s a numbers game, and Allen complicates things for these two. It’s very possible that they are both in the team’s long-term plans, but the Bengals clearly want more up front.
Jackson has flashed toward the end of the past two seasons, but it has not been consistent. Jenkins is solid against the run, but given his size, the team undoubtedly wants to see some pass rush develop. Their roster spots appear to be safe, given their recent draft statuses (Jenkins a second-round pick, Jackson a third-rounder), but the pressure is on both of them to show more.
Cedric Johnson
Johnson is a really good NFL story, given his draft position and ability to make an impact when called upon, but the Bengals just keep adding guys in front of him. It’s possible that the recent departures of Trey Hendrickson, Joseph Ossai, and Cam Sample allow him to have a depth rusher position, but Mafe complicates things.
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