It's a subject that has been at the forefront of all Cincinnati Bengals talk for the past five or six years: the offensive line. Since Joe Burrow came into the league, the Bengals have had one of the worst offensive lines every single season, and they have really struggled to protect the franchise QB.
In Burrow's first five years in the NFL, the Bengals' highest-ranked offensive line was 20th in 2021, when they went to the Super Bowl. Other than that, their best finish was 26th.
Last year was much the same too, as the Bengals were ranked 27th in terms of pass blocking win rate, according to NFL Lines, with a win rate of just 57% in 2025. So can they be any better this season amid all the hype around Paycor Stadium at the moment.
Orlando Brown Jr says Bengals offensive line is 'the best in the NFL'
Cincinnati hasn't made any major changes to its offensive line during the offseason, but there were promising signs from youngsters Dylan Fairchild and Amarius Mims. Alongside them, we have experienced veterans in Ted Karras, Dalton Risner and Orlando Brown Jr.
The latter caught the ears of a lot of people recently when he made an appearance on the Locked On Bengals Podcast. Brown Jr said that he believes the Cincy o-line is the best in the league at pass protection heading into 2026.
"I really think, and I say this confidently, I really feel like we’ve got the best pass protection unit in the NFL. There aren’t a lot of groups that I think could come do what we do on a week-to-week basis and have the success that we’ve had."
"Our unit is so strong, in pass protection. "Orlandro Brown Jr, Locked On Podcast
Should we get excited about Orlando Brown Jr.'s claim?
The simple answer is, kind of yeah. The hype around the Bengals this season certainly seems justified. They have a top five quarterback, arguably the best wide receiver corps in the NFL, and a defensive which now looks intimidating to opposing teams.
If the Bengals' offensive line can do even just a decent job of protecting Burrow, then a Super Bowl run is a real possibility. If Brown Jr believes they are the best in the league, then surely a solid performance from Scott Peters' line is achievable. If they manage that, then we certainly should be excited.
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