The Cincinnati Bengals are rarely quick to make a change, even when it's clearly necessary. The best example may be Duke Tobin's extensive tenure. While he's technically the team's director of player personnel, Tobin acts as a de facto general manager. Hired in 2002, he's held the position longer than almost any other GM in football.
Tobin has brought some success to Cincinnati, including a solid playoff streak in the early 2010s and a Super Bowl appearance just a few years ago. But the decline of this franchise over the last three seasons has been painfully obvious. It's time to make a change, and Tobin may be one of the first to go.
Second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr.'s failure to get things going this season might just be what pushes the decision over the line.
Drafting Demetrius Knight Jr. could be the decision that gets Duke Tobin fired by Bengals
At the time of the draft, it was hard to argue with the decision to take Knight in the second round. The Bengals were in desperate need of help on defense, on all three levels, and the young linebacker looked ready to step in as a starter immediately. His athleticism, prototypical frame, strength, and ability to read offenses made him an intriguing draft prospect.
Unfortunately, the pick hasn't panned out. The rookie has struggled immensely this season, looking lost in both run and pass defense. He's missed almost 15% of his tackles this season, highlighting his apparent inability to finish plays. In the passing game, he's allowed receptions on 80% of balls thrown his way. His PFF defense grade of 36.7 ranks second-worst in the league among qualifying linebackers, only to be outdone by his teammate and fellow rookie, Barrett Carter.
Of course, it always takes time for linebackers to adjust to the speed of the NFL game. There's still a chance that Knight develops into a quality starter. His encouraging Week 11 performance could be a sign that he's beginning to turn things around.
But after the elite 2024 campaigns of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase were wasted by a struggling defense, Tobin had to turn the unit around. Instead, he made a few costly draft mistakes, failing to fix the unit on any level. These misses by themselves aren't cause for letting the director of player personnel go, but the cumulative frustrations of the last half-decade could be.