Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati can't afford a best-player-available approach after failing to address particular spots in free agency.

Also among the proposed changes is an expanded use for when trailing teams are allowed to declare an onside kick.

Which QB-needy team takes a chance on Sanders? And where does RB Ashton Jeanty go in the first round?

Not every owner is willing to do what it takes to win, or even knows how to accomplish the goal. So which teams are best set for success?

The big-money free-agent deals steal most of the attention but the value often comes at the other end. Who could be the steals of 2025?

The Titans stick at No. 1, the Browns decide against a QB and the Rams, Bills, Eagles and Vikings are wheeling and dealing.

Cousins returns to the series as Netflix followed the trio of Pro Bowl quarterbacks through the 2024-25 NFL season.

Big new deals for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins show Cincinnati's new QB1 has far more influence than the No. 1 pick of the past.

Inside: The biggest beneficiaries from the first week of free agency — a list with Caleb Williams, Sean Payton and two of the Bengals’ stars — and the teams whose stocks took hits. This article is from Scoop City, The Athletic’s NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. After a dramatic week, the Seahawks’ QB shuffle stands out as the most regime-defining move, for better or worse (more on that later). But plenty of others are in contention for that distinction. Let’s start with the positives: 📈 Caleb Williams. Chicago hasn’t...

There's a sigh of relief to have Joe Burrow's top weapons locked down, but focus on the WRs resulted in free agency shortcomings.

Chase becomes the highest paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

Inside: Who are the NFL’s highest-paid players, now that free agency is mostly done? Plus, the league’s most underpaid, how Sean McVay recruits and why Micah Parsons is so angry. This article is from Scoop City, The Athletic’s NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. At the combine weeks ago, when asked about how the Bengals planned to navigate their upcoming extensions, de facto GM Duke Tobin said Ja’Marr Chase would “end up being the No. 1 paid non-quarterback in the league.” That quote could cost the Bengals over $5 million.

How much difference can a coordinator make? The Bengals are about to find out after doing little to add new pieces in early free agency.

It's time to check in on winners and losers in Super Bowl outlook after some big roster shifts.

Inside: Eight things you should know about the second wave of free-agent signings, plus why Aaron Rodgers doesn’t make sense for the Steelers or Vikings. This article is from Scoop City, The Athletic’s NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. The top 20 signings of the second wave, according to The Athletic’s Top 150 (grades by Mike Jones): !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var...