It's borderline ridiculous to already be peeking at next offseason with the Cincinnati Bengals making savvy vet signings left and right and about to take the field in six days for their first game of the 2025 campaign. Alas, this is not my doing!
NFL dot com came out with a list that I couldn't help but apply to the Bengals. What was that list, you ask? The top 25 NFL free agents for 2026.
When somebody who works in this line of work gets a chance to dunk and showboat about takes from years ago that have proven to be true, well, that somebody is gonna take that opportunity to gloat. Or at least I will.
The 2026 offseason could be a very redemptive one for the Bengals. Allow me to explain why.
Bengals can rectify NFL Draft gaffes from 2022
As I wrote for Barstool Sports quite a few moons ago, the Seattle Seahawks drafted six of my top 70 ranked prospects from the 2022 NFL Draft. Take your pick on how many of those dudes I would've loved to have in Cincinnati on a squad that still ran to the AFC Championship Game.
No, the Seahawks haven't reached the heights of the peak Pete Carroll era. However, I think they're well on their way — and they won't be able to pay everyone.
Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt is hitting the open market next offseason. Maybe he has a career year for the Bengals and they decided to extend him. You know who I'd rather have? Seahawks corner Riq Woolen. He was my 33rd-ranked prospect in '22, compared to 65th for CTB.
My final mock draft for the Bengals in 2022 had Woolen as the 63rd pick. He would last until Pick 153 for reasons that still elude me. Cincinnati traded up three spots to get Taylor-Britt at No. 60.
From there, the Bengals proceeded to take bust defensive tackle Zach Carter in Round 3. I'm still sick over it. The butterfly effect of selecting Woolen at No. 95 — or, heck, Kerby Joseph, my 63rd-ranked player — is staggering to contemplate.
So here's the tie-in: NFL dot com ranked Woolen as the No. 5 free agent available in 2026. He had six INTs as a rookie and has five since. Woolen is 26 years old, is 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, has legit sub-4.3 40 speed, and hasn't even played corner that long since he converted from wide receiver in college at UTSA.
#Seahawks Riq Woolen having a down season has been BUSTED: pic.twitter.com/NFAZYojikJ
— HawkMania (@hawkmania4) December 7, 2024
My take? This coming offseason, let CTB — who didn't qualify on the top-25 list for a reason — walk and pay Riq Woolen handsomely to be the clear-cut new CB1 in Cincinnati. Otherwise, you're just reaching and hoping CTB becomes that guy someday.
Bengals can finally do right by Trey Hendrickson
My initial angle for this subsection was in the vein of, "just give Trey Hendrickson a two-year extension, heavy on guaranteed money, and part ways after the 2027 season. Boom! Done!" As the fourth-ranked free agent on the list, surely that's warranted, right?
But it's never that easy with Mike Brown, the Blackburns, and the Bengals brain trust. They've fought tooth and nail the whole way when Hendrickson has demanded a bigger payday. Refused to give him guarantees beyond the first year of an extension this offseason.
To me, the way Cincinnati has handled business with Hendrickson only damages the franchise's already-tenuous reputation. Fair or not, there's a certain unfavorable perception that lingers around the team. And I've prattled on enough about this before, so I'll spare you now. Follow the link if you want to read more about that.
So what I came to realize is that "doing right" by Hendrickson may not entail paying him at all. It would be a frankly low move by the Bengals to just slap Hendrickson with the franchise tag in 2026, not giving him the chance to explore his options on the open market.
Doing right by Hendrickson might actually be letting him go at long last to a team who appreciates him enough to pay him what he deserves.
Why would I advocate for this, after defending Hendrickson at every turn? Because it could be best for all parties involved, for one. And two, there happens to be a surplus of stud pass-rushers due to hit free agency.
Also qualifying for the top-25 free-agent list are Nik Bonnito (No. 1), Jaelan Phillips (No. 3), Boye Mafe (No. 22), and Odafe Oweh (No. 24). My sense is that the Broncos will keep Bonnito in Denver for the long haul, especially if he backs up last year's 13.5-sack campaign. He may be out of reach.
Everyone else, though? Pretty fair game. Phillips' injury history is a little troublesome and could lead the Dolphins to letting him walk.
It's actually wild to me that Phillips is ranked ahead of Hendrickson. Would I rather shell out for a 27-year-old Phillips or a 32-year-old Hendrickson next year? The answer is a no-brainer. It's Hendrickson, barring a catastrophic injury in 2025. Doubt it would be for the Bengals.
As for the rest of the crew, I wouldn't mind poaching Oweh from the AFC North rival Ravens. He had 10 sacks in 2024, and I'm not convinced he's reached his ceiling. I wonder, however, if Baltimore would let him get away with such a suspect EDGE group on paper entering 2026.
My choice for a prospective Hendrickson replacement, goodness forbid it should come to that is Boye Mafe.
Mafe was part of that loaded Seahawks draft class I referenced earlier. Would've taken him Round 1 in 2022. Would expect to pay less for him than Hendrickson, yet still get reminiscent production.
Seattle is just stacked on its front seven at the minute. I don't envy the front office's decision-making there. Thus, Mafe could earn a bigger role on the Bengals and be the starter of the future opposite Shemar Stewart at defensive end.
New: The #Seahawks have a couple rookie-contract edge rushers in Boye Mafe & Derick Hall.
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) July 8, 2025
Boye is entering the final year of his deal & is extension-eligible. Is he in Seattle’s long-term plans? How does Hall factor in? This season could decide. https://t.co/s9Nj7LrTNn pic.twitter.com/5UisTYjvPp
Look at it this way. Somewhat arbitrary comparison incoming that I hope lands. Reigning Rams Rookie of the Year Jared Verse had 546 pass rush snaps last year with 4.5 sacks and 66 hurries. Over the last two seasons, Mafe has 15 sacks and 78 hurries on 788 such snaps, per PFF.
This shows that Mafe has strong finishing ability when he does generate pressure, and has upside to flourish if given more opportunities. My dream of double-dipping on Seattle free agents between Mafe and Woolen could lift the Bengals into an exciting new era!
My preferred "right by Trey" angle? Still keep him and sign him, because even a maxed-out Mafe would struggle to get to 17.5 sacks like Hendrickson has each of the last two years. At the same time, if a contract spat is an annual distraction, it's best for Hendrickson to move on and for the Bengals to get creative at emulating his production.