The Cincinnati Bengals invested more than usual this offseason in upgrading their roster, but they couldn't plug all the holes. They wisely spent most of their resources on defense, which left other areas a little more vulnerable than fans would've liked.
Although the offensive line tasked with protecting Joe Burrow returns all five starters from last year, the depth at tackle in particular is suspect. Veteran utility player Cody Ford is the default swing tackle option, but he's struggled mightily at that spot whenever pressed into duty.
Ford is more of a guard, yet Cincinnati keeps going back to the well with him, hoping he can keep improving. Training camp is a bit of a watershed moment for the 29-year-old pro.
Bengals OL Cody Ford is at a career crossroads in training camp
As a pending free agent and a mere $1.8 million cap hit in 2026, Ford could still be released to save the Bengals $1.3 million in the event that they want to pursue another player post-camp.
Javon Foster is more of a pure tackle who could very well challenge Ford for the swing tackle position, and put the latter squarely on the roster bubble.
Despite Ford's capacity to play guard, the Bengals just drafted Brian Parker II to be their new all-purpose lineman. Parker was a right tackle at Duke and played some left tackle, but like Ford, projects better to guard in the pros.
But shoot, Cincinnati has stuck by Ford dating all the way back to the 2023 season. The offensive line has undergone a lot of changes and reshuffles in that span. It was clear the unit had to improve with how much punishment Burrow was taking. Now, that overhauled starting lineup is finally locked in, and Ford has (somehow) been a constant staple in the larger position group.
Like yeah, Ford had a fun gadget play reception late last year, but beyond that, he's not some world beater in the trenches.
“Catch it and get north.” Pure comedy from Cody Ford and Orlando Brown Jr. 😂😂😂😂
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) December 29, 2025
Ford caught a 21-yard pass from Joe Burrow in the Bengals’ win over the Cardinals. It’s tied for the 3rd longest catch by an offense lineman since 2000. pic.twitter.com/cawvYnuilk
It's actually quite puzzling as to why the Bengals trust Ford so much. His most extensive action in a season in Cincy came when he made nine starts in 16 games for the 2024 team (686 blocking snaps). Burrow was playing at an MVP level, all the while these stats were a reality:
most brutal stat you'll read today:
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 1, 2025
Joe Burrow has been blitzed at the #1 LOWEST rate of any QB the last 4 years
--but--
he has been hit within 2.5 seconds of snap at the #1 HIGHEST rate 👀
Burrow has been hit within 2.5 seconds 25% MORE than the #2 most hit QB in the NFL 🤯 pic.twitter.com/QOCOmIvRgg
how about instead of blaming the guy with the lightening fast release, we look at his OL?
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 2, 2025
the Bengals OL is the ONLY OL to rank #25 or worse in pass block win rate for FOUR STRAIGHT YEARS:
2021: #30
2022: #30
2023: #27
2024: #32
they're the worst pass blocking line in the NFL
Yikes. Nice work, Cody and Co.!
Still, at this point, if there's a close call between Ford and Foster at swing tackle, Zac Taylor and the coaches will probably lean toward Ford since he's had more years in the system and can play guard.
Does that mean it's the right decision? No. If Cincinnati's general approach to the offseason stays true, and they look for upgrades at every conceivable position, it's quite doable to find a superior option to Ford after all teams make their final 53-man roster cuts.
Ford can shut down any notion of that happening with a strong training camp. He needs to be at his best more than ever, because it's clear that the Bengals are no longer messing around or accepting mediocrity anywhere on the roster in their quest for a first-ever Super Bowl.
Well, unless you count linebacker. Jury's still out there!
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