As Cincinnati Bengals fans, we crave to travel back in time to the 2021 season. A fairly under-the-radar team shocked the NFL by not only winning the AFC North, but also winning their first playoff game in 31 years, and beating the Chiefs at Arrowhead to make it to the Super Bowl.
Since then, it's been easy to look back on 2021 with a painful bout of nostalgia, seeing as we've not seen the same sort of success in the past three seasons. Many of the players on that 2021 roster have left now, especially on defense, including the dynamic safety duo of Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates.
Bell was somewhat of a leader on that Bengals defense, not only did he provide an experienced head, but he was also a very hard-hitting physical safety...we all remember that hit on JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2020.
The Bengals added Bryan Cook in free agency
Bell was back on the Bengals last season, but he wasn't able to replicate his impressive form from 2021 and 2022, and he is now a safeties coach for the Colorado Buffaloes.
To replace him, the Bengals went out and signed former Chiefs safety Bryan Cook, a move which was hailed by many as one of Cincy's best during the offseason. The former second-round pick has made over 150 solo tackles, produced three interceptions and a sack in his career, but the numbers aren't the whole story.
During his time at Arrowhead, Cook became known for being a reliable member of the secondary and was very much a hard-hitting physical safety, rather than a pure ball hawk.
Speaking to Bengals.com's Dan Hoard, Cook emphasised that he is a physical player and isn't afraid to make a play that'll get his teammates all fired up. He said: "You’ve got to have a little chip on the shoulder, just because at the end of the day, you're the last line of defense. I take pride in that, because behind me there's no one. I'm here to help my team, and if I need to, set a tone."
"It's a nice feeling when you get a nice hit on somebody."Bryan Cook Jr, Bengals.com
Bryan Cook could be the Bengals' 2026 version of Vonn Bell
It feels as though it has really been since 2021 that the Bengals have had players who are hard-tackling, driven and momentum-building guys in the secondary, and so the addition of Cook could be more impactful than many would think.
Cook has plenty of winning experience; he has won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs and went to three in a row, so he knows how to help lead a championship-caliber defense.
Not only could he become the physical last line of defense, as he put it, but Cook could become a real leader and motivator in the secondary, much like Bell was in 2021. He can create a fired-up atmosphere, which could be enough to motivate any Bengals defender to make a game-changing play. These plays are what got Cincy to the Super Bowl last time.
It was Germaine Pratt against the Raiders, Jessie Bates versus the Titans, and then Vonn Bell playing the hero to topple the Chiefs. Why can't it be Bryan Cook this year?
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