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The Cincinnati Bengals could pursue a veteran pass rusher

The Cincinnati Bengals have dramatically improved their defensive personnel this offseason. 

Despite the Bengals’ offense managing to remain a top-10 unit without Joe Burrow for most of the season, Cincinnati had their worst record since 2020. That was primarily a result of the Bengals defense allowing the third-most points in the NFL.

While it is impossible to place the blame for the Bengals’ defense on one individual player, the team’s defense suffered from the absence of All-Pro pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who spent most of the season out with an injury.

Unfortunately, Hendrickson has now left via free agency as he joined the division rival Baltimore Ravens. And despite Cincinnati addressing the position with the addition of former Seahawks pass rusher Boye Mafe, the team could still use some more production out of their pass rushers.

Cincinnati Bengals Pushed to Sign Pass Rusher

As a result, Bengals Wire’s Chris Roling listed Joey Bosa as a potential free agent whom the Cincinnati Bengals might still pursue ahead of the 2026 season. 

Roling wrote:

“Burrow’s friend is a super obvious connection to make. Bosa will turn 31 in July, but he just enjoyed his first double-digit-game-started attendance sheet since 2021 last year in Buffalo. He only had five sacks, but his rotational upside is hard to deny. The Bengals have Boye Mafe and a handful of prospects they want to develop on the fly next year, but there’s really no such thing as too many good pass rushers on a roster.”

Despite registering just five sacks this year, Bosa was productive for the Bills in 2025. HHis 79.3 Pro Football Focus grade ranked 17th among 115 qualified edge defenders in the NFL. Despite being subpar against the run, his pass-rush grade still ranked among the top 10 in the NFL. Bosa has totaled over $153 million in career earnings, according to Spotrac, but would likely command less than $10 million on a one-year contract.

Unfortunately, Bosa also carries some injury risk. He has missed eight or more games in two out of the past four seasons. Additionally, despite the positive metrics, Bosa has not had 10 or more sacks in a season since 2021.

Bengals Pass Rush

Aside from Mafe, the Bengals will also hope to get contributions from rookie Cashius Howell, who was their highest selection during the 2026 NFL Draft. Cincinnati drafted Howell with their second-round pick.

Howell, who was a productive pass rusher in his college career, was ranked as the 38th-best prospect by The Ringer’s Todd McShay. Regarding Howell, McShay wrote:

“Howell is a flat-out playmaker with a dizzying combination of takeoff burst (evidenced by a 1.58-second 10-yard split), change-of-direction quickness, upper-body violence, and closing speed. He has great instincts getting to the quarterback, whether that’s with speed, power, or savvy. He has an effective array of moves and does a good job of advancing his rush while engaging bigger offensive tackles. His special trait is his ability to shave an edge tightly while doing so at an insanely high speed.”

Adding an experienced veteran like Joey Bosa to help Howell develop could be a route Cincinnati explores.