NFL: Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
Jan 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) stands over center Ted Karras (64) during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before about the Cincinnati Bengals. Because we know Joe Burrow has heard every version of the same promise made every NFL offseason. This is the year the Cincinnati Bengals finally fix things up front. This time the pieces are in place. Then August arrives, and the same old problem shows up right on schedule.
ESPN analyst Louis Riddick isn’t buying the optimism yet, and he pointed to one preseason snapshot to explain why.
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Louis Riddick flags the issue plaguing the Bengals
“The offensive line is still a problem. That could derail everything.”@LRiddickESPN breaks down what the Bengals need to fix before the season starts 👀 pic.twitter.com/GgPqUBaDOb
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 26, 2026
Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up, Riddick praised the Bengals’ offseason work on defense but stopped short of calling Cincinnati a finished product. Riddick noted that upgrading the defense only accomplishes one of the team’s two most important objectives. Protecting Burrow remains the other, and Riddick made clear he still isn’t sold on it.
Riddick referenced the Bengals’ preseason opener against the Detroit Lions as evidence. Burrow absorbed a nine-yard sack in that game and was hit in the arm on an incomplete pass. The offensive line allowed pressure on 15 of 40 dropbacks against Detroit.
The concern isn’t rooted in one preseason drive. It’s rooted in six years of history. Burrow has been blitzed less often than any quarterback in the league since 2021, yet he leads the NFL in the number of times he’s been hit within 2.5 seconds of the snap. That has made him the second-leading quarterback in total sacks taken since 2021, trailing only Russell Wilson, who retired earlier this summer. Defenses not needing to blitz to get after Burrow is a serious red flag.
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The Bengals keep adding pieces, but the results haven’t followed
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) signals a play in the first quarter of the NFL Preseason game.
Cincinnati’s offseason approach to defense was aggressive. The Bengals added pass rusher Boye Mafe, safety Bryan Cook and defensive lineman Jonathan Allen in free agency before trading their first-round pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence. That came a year after Cincinnati ranked among the worst defenses in the league, finishing 31st in total defense and 30th in scoring defense in 2025.
The offensive line hasn’t collapsed the same way, but it hasn’t been fixed either. Cincinnati allowed 36 sacks in 2025, the 14th fewest in the league, and finished tied for 10th in sack percentage, its first top-10 finish since 2014. By the back half of last season, Burrow himself was calling it the best offensive line he had played behind.
Progress isn’t the same as solved. The offensive line remains the offense’s biggest question after years of inconsistent protection, memorably including Burrow flat on his back during Cincinnati’s Super Bowl LVI comeback attempt. Cincinnati surrendered 74 sacks in 2021, and Burrow took 19 more across four playoff games that postseason, including seven in the Super Bowl loss to the Rams.
Evaluating Cincinnati’s offensive line
Cincinnati brings back all five starters from last year’s group. Right tackle Amarius Mims took a step forward in 2025, while left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. is looking to bounce back toward his Kansas City form. Guard Dalton Risner was re-signed to anchor the interior alongside Ted Karras and Dylan Fairchild. Brown has said publicly he expects this group to be one of the best in the league. Riddick has heard that kind of talk before, and watched it not hold up.
The defense finally got its investment this offseason. The offensive line got continuity instead of an overhaul. Whether that’s enough to keep Burrow upright for a full season is the question Riddick raised, and it’s the one that has followed the Bengals for years.
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Matt De Lima
Matt De Lima brings 15+ years of elite sports media experience to the table. From covering the gridiron to the hardwood, this Virginia Tech graduate has established himself as a versatile editor and writer for heavy hitters like Sports Illustrated and DraftKings. A twice-nominated FSWA finalist, Matt combines a digital-first philosophy with an eagle eye for breaking news, consistently delivering the engaging coverage today’s audience demands across the NFL, NBA, MLB, and beyond.
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