The Cincinnati Bengals have a problem at edge rusher.
After the departures of Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai, the only signing the team has made at the position is Boye Mafe, who posted two sacks last season.
Along with Mafe, the Bengals will also be relying on Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart, who combined for 6.5 sacks in 2025, with Murphy having 5.5 of them.
If the Bengals truly want to fix their defense, which has been the cause of their recent playoff drought, they must do more on the edge.
One avenue Cincinnati should explore is signing former Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Calais Campbell, who SportsGrid's Paul Connor predicts will sign with the Bengals in free agency.
"The ageless wonder refuses to slow down. Even approaching 40, Calais Campbell remains a disruptive force in the trenches and a towering locker-room presence," Connor said. "Cincinnati must continue to invest in the defensive side of the ball. Campbell provides immense veteran stability and can absorb B-gap double teams, offering a high-floor rotational presence on a low-cost, 1-year deal."
Despite being long in the tooth at 39 years old, Campbell has remained a consistent contributor, with at least five sacks in each of the last four seasons. He posted 6.5 sacks in 2025, his most since 2019.
But Campbell offers more than just edge rush help.
He also has the versatility to play on the inside and is an asset against the run, as evidenced by his 69.2 run defense grade, per Pro Football Focus.
And, as Connor points out, Campbell is a fantastic locker room guy who can singlehandedly change a culture with his elite leadership and experience.
According to Spotrac, Campbell is projected to land a one-year, $10.9 million deal in free agency. We think that's too high, but the Bengals can still afford it with roughly $19 million in cap space.
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