Pride goes before a fall. And if the Cincinnati Bengals continue to refuse to make the changes they desperately need, that’s exactly what will happen.
The Bengals need a linebacker who can cover the tight end and running back. Their pride prevents them from getting one.
Sunday’s 30-27 loss at Pittsburgh showed that weakness again. Aaron Rodgers’ first pass went to Jaylen Warren on a short crossing route and turned into a 30-yard gain. Where’s the linebacker?
By the end of the afternoon, Warren had three catches for 49 yards. Tight ends Darnell Washington, Pat Freiermuth and Robert Tonyan combined for six receptions and another 99 yards. That’s nine catches for 148 yards from running backs and tight ends, which is more than half of Rodgers’ passing yardage.
The Bengals cannot continue to watch opponents exploit the same weakness and insist that the answer is already in the building.
Washington delivered a dearest reminder. With the game tied in the fourth quarter, he converted a 47-yard reception on the possession that set up Pittsburgh’s game-winning field goal. Cincinnati had to get someone on the ground. Instead, a tight end helped move the Steelers into scoring position.
Some of those are discussed. Some of these are defensive receivers in space. Both require attention, and cannot be corrected by pretending that the current staff just needs more time.
A week earlier, Dalton Schultz caught 12 passes for 140 yards against the Bengals. Cincinnati won at Houston, but the result hid a problem that brought Pittsburgh back into focus. A win doesn’t make a defensive weakness a strength.
The Bengals have enough evidence. What they need now is the willingness to admit that their linebacker room needs help.
That entry shouldn’t be difficult. Teams make personnel decisions, evaluate results, and adjust. Bringing in a veteran doesn’t require abandoning young players. It requires recognizing that progress and winning this season have to happen together.
Instead, Cincinnati lets pride protect its decisions while opposing offenses collect the benefits.
There are options worth pursuing, starting with Shaq Thompson. Buffalo currently has him listed on its practice squad, and PFF’s player page gives him a 69.2 coverage grade for 2025, 14th out of 88 qualified linebackers. That’s reason enough to call.
Jerome Baker also deserves consideration. He remains on the latest available free agent list, and his 69.1 grade in coverage last season makes him worth checking out, even with the limitation of a smaller workload. Take him and see if he can help.
These players are candidates, and the Bengals have some work to do before deciding whether any belong on their roster. They need to assess health, movement, and the ability to handle problematic assignments: carrying a tight end on a route and keeping a running back out of the backfield.
That work should be in progress.
The criteria cannot be whether a signing validates the Bengals’ offseason plan. The standard should be if it improves their defense.
Cincinnati doesn’t need to give a veteran a starting job or commit to him every snap. It needs to create competition for the pass-down assignments that its current players fail to hold consistently. If the available linebacker can do that job better, he should be on the field.
Joe Burrow’s strength is too important to protect the front office’s pride. The Bengals have a weakness, their opponents know it, and help is worth investigating.
Admit the need. Make calls. Give this team a better chance to win.