The Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) are falling out of contention in the AFC, and the reason is a defense that has been among the NFL’s worst in coverage, per PFF’s premium stats.
Joe Burrow is a special player, and Cincinnati has the pieces in place to be a dynamic offense for years to come with skill position talent like Ja’Marr Chase and Chase Brown locked up beyond 2025. They can’t return to Super Bowl contention, though, with a defense allowing close to 27 points per game.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report recently proposed a solution, predicting the Bengals will sign rising cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. away from the Minnesota Vikings in 2025 free agency. Here was Ballentine’s take in his Week 12 AFC scouting reports:
“One of the biggest reasons the Bengals have underperformed this season is a secondary that is just not holding up its end of the bargain. The Bengals are one of the worst third-down defenses in the league and will need to make changes next season. One of those changes could be finding a veteran who can come in and play cornerback. Turning over the reins of their cornerback position to the young wave of Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Johnson. Someone like Byron Murphy, who has thrived in Minnesota this season, could come in and change the tone of the secondary.”
Murphy is one of three starting cornerbacks for Minnesota currently playing on an expiring contract, so it’s feasible he could shake free and hit the open market. He’s a versatile player, capable of playing on the boundary, in the slot or a combination of both, which he’s done often this season for one of the top scoring defenses in the NFL. He's the No. 30 overall corner in the NFL through Week 11, per PFF.
Minnesota has also been among the most opportunistic defenses in football, entering Week 12 tied with the Buffalo Bills for the NFL lead in total takeaways with 21. Murphy has contributed four interceptions through 10 games, and now has seven through his 24 games with the Vikings.
The 26-year-old figures to have a market if he’s not extended by the Vikings, who own the sixth-most projected cap space for 2025. The Bengals need to get better across the board on defense, and bolstering a secondary that’s been shredded against the pass this season would be a good place start.
