Stability is the watchword for the Cincinnati Bengals entering the 2026 season.
While their AFC North rivals integrate new head coaches and new systems, the Bengals are banking on familiarity with head coach Zac Taylor and returning veterans to hit the ground running. Cincinnati finished 6-11 last season, its first losing campaign since star quarterback Joe Burrow’s rookie year in 2020.
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On Thursday, the Bengals made a move to ensure their left tackle will remain in the fold. Cincinnati and Orlando Brown Jr. agreed to a two-year contract extension, the team announced on its X account. Financial terms of the deal weren’t immediately available.
MORE: NFL’s top 15 most expensive wide receiver rooms in 2026
The Bengals plan to bring back their entire starting offensive line — Brown, Dylan Fairchild, Ted Karras, Dalton Risner and Amarius Mims — for the first time in the Burrow era.
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A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Brown, 29, is entering his ninth season in the NFL. He began his career with the Baltimore Ravens before joining the Kansas City Chiefs. He won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs at the end of the 2022 season.
The Bengals signed Brown to a four-year, $64 million contract before the 2023 season. He has started 45 out of possible 51 games on the offensive line for Cincinnati.
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On his X account, Brown posted that he negotiated the extension, which runs through the 2028 season.
Represented myself on this deal lol it’s a 2 year extension
— Orlando Brown Jr. (@ZEUS__57) March 12, 2026
“It means a lot to me and my family. … I just want to be able to focus on ball. Having that security there, just in terms of the number of years I’m here, it allows me to focus on that. … I just wanna win,” Brown said in a press conference.
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