When assessing the Cincinnati Bengals' offseason priorities, little to do with the Joe Burrow-led offense is top of mind. Burrow has proven he can mask many deficiencies, and Zac Taylor has had success with Jake Browning and Joe Flacco when Burrow has gotten injured.
None of that means there isn't room for improvement. Burrow's recent comments about how this offseason is "as big as it gets" in Cincinnati aren't an invitation for Duke Tobin and the front office to focus on defense only and call it a day.
This is a pivotal point in Bengals history. They're the only team in the AFC North to retain their head coach.
So while this recent speculation about a potential addition seems low on the list of Cincinnati's needs, it's nevertheless intriguing to me.
Hometown hero a dark horse to don Bengals stripes in 2026 & create stacked backfield
Our pals at SideLion Report and writer Brad Berreman recently got down to forecasting teams who could be in the market to trade for Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery.
Berreman named four other teams who'd make more sense as a landing spot for Montgomery, yet the burly ball-carrier was born in the Queen City, and could be enticed by the prospect of playing for his hometown team:
"One potential dark horse trade suitor for Montgomery, with the hometown angle driving his interest, is the Cincinnati Bengals. It's just hard to make a strong case for that team compared to the Titans, Broncos, Jets and Chiefs."
This comes right on the heels of an angle I really dug from frequent Stripe Hype contributor Glenn Adams, about how the Bengals need to run the ball more in 2026 to balance out their offense. Check it out below.
Read More: Bengals' 2026 success may hinge on one overlooked offensive adjustment
Cincinnati's current RB1, Chase Brown, is eligible for a contract extension. I doubt the Bengals will give it to him, because that's their precedent established with more accomplished players like Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson.
Don't worry, Who Dey Heads. I'm well aware, too, that Samaje Perine is still on the roster and is a capable back. However, I can't help but wonder how much more dangerous the Bengals' rushing attack could become with someone like Montgomery to spell those two.
Montgomery is accustomed to a timeshare situation from his time in Detroit. Jahmyr Gibbs has become undeniable as the Lions' lead back. As good as Brown was at times in 2025 for the Bengals, he could use a little relief.
Again, Perine is capable of spelling Brown from time to time. I just believe that Montgomery is a a superior player. Not that much of a hot take, is it?
Another critical factor: The Bengals' o-line is finally rounding into form for the first time in the Burrow era. What Cincinnati lacks is a solid pass protector at running back.
Perine is deployed as the third-down back quite often, and Brown is a capable three-down workhorse. Neither of them were very good at all in pass protection this past season. Whereas Montgomery registered a 58.0 PFF pass blocking grade, Perine and Brown were at 39.1 and 27.7 respectively. In a word, dreadful!
One more data point to consider: Brown has 13 TDs on 461 carries over the last two seasons. Montgomery has 33 TDs in the past three years, albeit on 101 more totes. Point being, the man has a nose for the goal line to say the least.
Give me a three-headed monster where everyone has fresh legs all the time. Ride the hot hand when you have to. Lean toward Brown more often than not. But I'm telling y'all, a geeked-up David Montgomery playing in the city where he was born would be nothing short of epic.