To say Duke Tobin's unicorn-seldom-sighting forum with the media was eventful would be an understatement akin to intimating that the Cincinnati Bengals *need help* on defense.
We hold these truths to be self-evident as a collective Who Dey Nation. Unfortunately, not all men are created equal. Some are born into football royalty, like Tobin, and rest on the laurels of unfathomable job security despite one of the poorest processes to building a championship-caliber football team you could ever encounter in the NFL wild.
Life ain't fair though, eh? Tobin is the man in charge of the Bengals' super-small personnel department, for better or worse. Mostly worse. And for all the non-answers he gave in his blue moon presser, Tobin actually shed a slight bit of light on what the "plan" *might* be for free agency.
Click here for a link to Duke Tobin's full press conference.
Bengals exec Duke Tobin emphasizes need for leadership & pass rush on defense, and certain free agents fit the bill
Here are the two anecdotes that stood out most when Tobin discussed the Bengals' needs to rebuild their defense.
Duke Tobin speaking confidence publicly in DJ Turner, Dax Hill, Myles Murphy and Jordan Battle.
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) January 9, 2026
But..."We need leaders." #Bengals @FOX19
"We need pass rush. I'm a guy that believes in the front on both sides of the ball. That is my focus." - Duke Tobin. "I want to build the front."
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) January 9, 2026
Before we proceed any further, it's worth noting that Tobin basically threw Joe Burrow under the bus for lacking resources to field a competent defense. You know, rather than owning the many failures of the past four years, it was easier to just bash the face of the franchise.
Bravo, Duke!!
Read More: Duke Tobin's tone-deafness on Joe Burrow shows how cooked the Bengals are
Continuing on the runaway train of flawed logic and scattershot decision-making that runs rampant around 1 Paycor Stadium HQ, Bengals fans ought to be worried about Tobin's approach to fixing a mostly atrocious defensive unit. Why is that?
Look no further than this astute observation from Locked On Bengals' Jake Liscow, which really landed with me.
I thought Tobin said a few times today that they need more talent on defense, emphasizing pass rush
— Jake Liscow (@JakeLiscow) January 9, 2026
I also thought he threw a lot of support and weight to improvement after the bye
As a result, I am curious about just how much talent he thinks they need, and where
Like dear lord, how much stock is Tobin putting in what the Bengals did on defense over the last three games? Does he realize the QBs who were opposite Burrow in those contests?
Quinn Ewers was making his first NFL start in Miami. The next week was against Jacoby Brissett on an Arizona team that all but quit on their head coach. And then, it was the Shedeur Sanders-led Browns, who fired their coach Kevin Stefanski as well.
As for who Cincinnati may target on the open market, there aren't really any double-digit sack guys floating around. Unless you count incumbent Trey Hendrickson, who's all but out the door and will want nothing to do with the Bengals going forward.
To me, Tobin's focus on the defensive front means we're looking at versatility. Dudes who can play 3-technique and align on the edge. Baltimore's Dre'Mont Jones has 37.5 sacks in seven seasons in that type of role, and Denver's John Franklin-Myers has 34 sacks in his seven years as a pro.
Between those guys, and hopefully a big payday toward elite Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd, the Bengals can get their defense together. I just wonder if Tobin thinks Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter are the answer at linebacker after their immense rookie struggles.
We'll all find out together soon enough. Woof.