The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off a disappointing 6-11 season in which they missed the playoffs and finished third in the AFC North.
Injuries played a big role in their poor record, including Bengals QB Joe Burrow, who was limited to just eight games.
The Bengals have a payout of 22.22x to win the 2027 Super Bowl on PrizePicks Team Picks. As they look to get the franchise back on track, let’s examine their offseason plans.
Below, we’ll dig into a Bengals free agency preview, including key departures and potential free agent targets for Cincinnati.
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2026 Cincinnati Bengals Free Agency Departures
The Bengals are poised to lose a couple of key players in free agency, including DE Trey Hendrickson. Let’s highlight the more noteworthy players who could change teams.
DE Trey Hendrickson
The Bengals already had trouble putting pressure on quarterbacks last season. They were tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in the league (35).
Prior to last season, DE Trey Hendrickson had posted four straight campaigns with at least 10 sacks. Contract negotiations never worked out with the team, and he was limited to just seven games year.
The Bengals opted not to place the franchise tag on the 31-year-old, meaning his tenure with the franchise is likely over as he'll hit a pricey free agent market for pass rushers.
DE Joseph Ossai to Jets
A third-round pick in the 2021 Draft, DE Joseph Ossai in coming off back-to-back seasons with 5.0 sacks. He reached 5.0 sacks last season despite missing three games.
On Monday, Ossai reportedly reached agreement on a two-year contract with the Jets.
S Geno Stone to Chiefs
S Geno Stone has not missed a game in four straight seasons. Last year, he finished with a career high 104 tackles. The former seventh-round pick also has 13 interceptions over the last three seasons.
On Monday, the Bengals reached agreement with S Bryan Cook, formerly of the Chiefs, meaning the team is likely to move on from Stone.
QB Jake Browning
Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Bengals are not tendering a contract for QB Jake Browning. With Burrow battling injuries, Browning started 10 games over three seasons.
There are plenty of QB options on the free agency market, though many will come with a high price tag. Options include Zach Wilson, Tyrod Taylor, Trey Lance, and Carson Wentz.
Best 2026 NFL Free Agency Signings for Bengals
According to Sportrac, the Bengals enter free agency with about $47.5 million in cap space. The Bengals need to improve their offensive line to try and keep Burrow upright. Over the last three seasons, he has missed 16 games because of injuries.
With Ossai gone and Hendrickson likely soon to follow, the Bengals will also need to heavily invest in their pass rush to improve their defense.
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EDGE Boye Mafe
If the Bengals are moving on from Trey Hendrickson, they're going to need to add some pass rush pieces, either in free agency or the draft. While many of the top names like Jaelen Phillips and Odafe Oweh were signed on Wednesday, the Bengals swooped in to sign Super Bowl-champion Boye Mafe at a lower price.
Mafe played for the Super Bowl Champion Seahawks last year, earning a 3-year, $60 million deal with the Bengals. Mafe ranked 15th among all edge rushers in QB hurries (36), with 2 sacks on the season.
Mafe comes in as a much cheaper — albeit much less impactful — replacement for Hendrickson.
S Bryan Cook
The Bengals quest to improve at safety landed them one of the biggest names in the market.
On Monday, they agreed to a deal with Chiefs S Bryan Cook, who had 85 tackles and six passes defended for the Chiefs last season.
Cook ranked fourth in overall PFF grade on PFF in 2025, and sixth in coverage grade, which should provde a sizable upgrade to the Bengals' pass defense.
OG Wyatt Teller
Some of the best offensive guards available in free agency have been taken off the market, including Isaac Seumalo and Zion Johnson, who will join the Browns.
The Browns are looking to upgrade from OG Wyatt Teller, who is now expected to sign elsewhere. Teller ranked 40th among 81 guards, per PFF, but did struggle in pass blocking last year (53.1 grade), allowing 24 total pressures on the season.
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The Bengals have plenty of work to do this offseason to take a step forward with QB Joe Burrow and one of the best WR duos in the NFL.
They have the available cap space, which they might use to help fortify both their offensive and defensive lines and compete in the trenches next year.
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