The Bengals have agreed to terms with S Bryan Cook on a 3 year/$40.25M deal, per Ian Rapoport.
Cook was originally a 2nd round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022. He was consistently solid for most of his rookie contract, before then having a breakout season in 2025.
In coverage, Cook was able to show tremendous improvement, while maintaining his consistent play against the run.
For the Bengals, this is a much needed addition. His reliability as a tackler should prove to be much easier on the eyes than Geno Stone’s frequent missed tackles were. Bringing in someone with the ability to make an impact in both phases is the first step towards fixing the defence.
Soon after, the Bengals took their second step, agreeing to terms with DE Boye Mafe on a 3 year/$60M deal.
There were a few higher profile options, but Mafe is also someone who brings consistency in both phases. While he likely won’t replicate Hendrickson’s sack numbers, he is still effective at getting after the QB, and is an upgrade against the run.
Mafe was originally a 2nd round pick of the Seahawks in 2022, and was a big part of their Super Bowl winning team this past season.
For the Bengals, this provides some stability at DE, as Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart continue to find their way. In deep free agent and draft classes at DE, we could still see another addition or two, as well. This move comes in cheaper than Hendrickson’s expected price, and the extra money will give the Bengals a bit more flexibility to patch up some of the holes that still exist in the defence.
