While we are all extremely excited about the Cincinnati Bengals having a defense that can challenge the offensive line in training camp, perhaps we are willfully ignoring the flip side of that particular coin.
The offense is not at the point of being unable to function due to the offensive line’s lack of, let’s call it, cohesion, against the defense we have witnessed in past training camps. Nevertheless, it is something that some of us look at with both nervousness and optimism, choosing to rejoice in future defensive possibilities rather than wallow in past O-line failures.
However, once the pads come on and there is more talk of the defensive front getting the better of Joe Burrow’s bodyguards, focus could shift to what the front office did not do: spend enough money on the offensive line.
OTC reveals Bengals spent the least on OL
Recently, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap revealed the offensive line investments for 2026. Unfortunately, we must hope that the Bengals outplay their spreadsheet by an incredible margin.
The Bengals rank dead last in investment along the offensive line heading into the 2026 season, spending a league-low $54,257,012 on the trenches, while their veterans are the second-oldest group.
Of Cincinnati’s offensive line, Fitzgerald notes:
“At the bottom are the Bengals and their plan seems crazy. They have just $54 million invested on the line with a QB who is getting the injury prone label and an offense that is heavily reliant and invested in their passing game. The age of the vets on the team is nearly 31 and they rank below average in projected rookie impact, basically a 50/50 split between rookie and veteran investment. On paper this is tough to justify.”
As Fitzgerald points out, coming into a season in which the Bengals have improved their defense to the point of having expectations, one of the most significant remaining concerns is whether Burrow can stay upright throughout the season.
With protecting the franchise QB easily at the top of every organization’s priorities, investing the least financial resources in it seems counterproductive.
The Bengals finished 28th according to ESPN’s pass block win rates. However, they came in at an impressive 10th in run block win rates, which is why running the ball more could be key to unlocking the team’s success this year.
The guys over at Sharp Football Analysis, led by Warren Sharp, rank Cincinnati’s offensive line 28th in their rankings, as Football Insights puts the Men in Stripes’ preseason composite rankings 29th heading into the season.
Hard to defend, easier to explain
The Bengals spending the least on their offensive line, which has been one of the worst in the NFL since Joe Burrow entered the league, is hardly defensible. Nevertheless, let’s take a stab at it.
Cincinnati’s offensive line was not the worst in the league last season, despite the team’s lack of financial investment. And by the end of the year, no one was talking about that unit more than they were about the defense as a whole, whose safeties and linebackers were some of the worst tacklers in the NFL, whose pass rush could not rush the passer, and run stoppers could not stop the run.
After previously spending on high-priced extensions for stars like Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, along with the long-overdue defensive overhaul this offseason, spending big on the offensive line was not feasible.
Furthermore, this past offseason did not yield many OL targets for the front office to pursue.
The Las Vegas Raiders picked up center Tyler Linderbaum from the Baltimore Ravens. And while some of us really wanted the team to kick the tires on David Edwards, he landed with the New Orleans Saints after leaving Buffalo.
With the Bengals using the 10th overall pick to trade for Dexter Lawrence, they were immediately out on the top-ranked linemen in the draft while being All-in on rebuilding the defense.
And none of those expenditures include what we all hope to be extensions for cornerbacks DJ Turner and Dax Hill.
Bengals' expectations exceed frugal spending
The Bengals are banking on their offensive linemen from last year improving. Amarius Mims appears ready to take a leap. Guard Dylan Fairchild should be better coming off a promising rookie season, which makes him a prime breakout candidate.
Perhaps Cincinnati’s own draft steal, Brian Parker II, along with fellow rookie Connor Lew, can earn playing time early in their Bengals careers, further justifying the decision not to spend more on the position. There is also the possibility that someone like UDFA Corey Robinson II steps up and finds a role for the unit.
However, the veteran experience, for which the Bengals are the second-oldest on Fitzgerald’s list, is something that a team in win-now mode relishes, as they do not have to worry about any rookies getting up to speed.
With the team spinning the block with all five starters from last year, continuity is crucial for a unit that gets off to notoriously slow starts that Zac Taylor eventually figures out, albeit sometimes too late.
Lastly, on the opposite end of those less-than-stellar rankings is PFSN (Pro Football Network), which often graded out Cincinnati’s quality near the top in the latter parts of the season.
PFSN ranked the offensive line seventh-best entering 2026. And as unbiased believers in their system (because they tend to see things the way we do), we lean more toward how they see Cincinnati’s linemen than toward the overwhelmingly negative consensus.
With Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, et al. getting the better of the offense enough for starting center Ted Karras to comment on it, some could start to get worried about whether the front office did enough to improve the offensive line this offseason. Karras even compared the Bengals' front to the 2016 Patriots, who went on to win the Super Bowl, via CLNSCincy.com's Mike Petraglia:
"The level of stress I feel at the line of scrimmage...[No.] 97, he gets like one a day on me which I gotta eliminate. [...] You better bring your f*****g s*** when you're going against Dexter Lawrence."
Despite the overall low preseason rankings and league-low spending, expect this iteration of the offensive line to be the best that Burrow has played behind.
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