The Browns added a little extra protection for themselves to complete the Myles Garrett trade to the Rams this week.
While Cleveland received edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick from Los Angeles in exchange for Garrett, the league’s daily transaction wire noted that the final pick was conditional.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the condition on that 2029 third-round pick is that it will become a first-round pick in the event that the Rams trade Garrett to a team in the AFC North.
It doesn’t seem likely that the Rams would even want to trade Garrett at any point in the future.
But just in case they do, the Browns have at least made it unlikely that they’ll ever see Garrett twice a year on the opposing sideline.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow called this year’s roster the most talented one he’s been a part of in the NFL and the offseason moves on the defensive side of the ball are the biggest reason to feel that way.
The Bengals traded for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence after signing defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, edge rusher Boye Mafe, and safety Bryan Cook in free agency and before drafting two more defenders with their first two picks in the draft. Those moves addressed a major shortcoming for the Bengals in recent seasons and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said on Tuesday that everyone is looking for immediate results from the new arrivals.
“At the end of the day, we got to the Super Bowl in ’21 and never went back,” Chase said, via Ben Baby of ESPN.com. “So, expectations have always been high since 2021. But now that we have improved our defense a little more, the expectations have gone up for the defense to show us what they could do.”
The defense hasn’t been the only rough spot for the Bengals during their current playoff drought, but it’s been the most glaring one and that needs to change for the Bengals to get where they want to go in 2026.
The Bengals and Bears will hold a joint practice ahead of their Aug. 22 preseason game at Paycor Stadium.
The teams will work together on Thursday, Aug. 20, marking the second time in three seasons the Bengals and Bears have practiced against each other.
Bears coach Ben Johnson and Bengals coach Zac Taylor have a close friendship dating to the 2012 season when they worked together on the Dolphins staff.
“It’s very easy,” Taylor said when asked if his friendship with Johnson affects the scheduling, via Jay Morrison of SI.com. “He’s been great. So he and I will iron that out over the next couple of days, but they’ll come here.”
The teams last practiced together in 2024, when rain marred the day. Two Bengals players were lost for the season with knee injuries, as running back Chris Evans and offensive tackle D’Ante Smith tore a patellar tendon.
Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco has been sacked by Myles Garrett and has been a teammate of Garrett in Cleveland, and Flacco knows it’s much better to be playing with Garrett than against him.
The news that Garrett is no longer a division rival after he was traded from the Browns to the Rams on Monday was met with approval by Flacco.
“Good for us,” Flacco said, via Bengals.com.
The Bengals’ two starting offensive tackles, Amarius Mims and Orlando Brown Jr., both saw the trade as good for the Rams and good for Garrett.
“I’m pretty sure anybody practicing today at the time we were practicing, no matter what it was, I assure you every team got a hold of that news,” Mims said. “It’s huge when you get a guy like Myles Garrett, a future Hall of Famer. It’s going to be a buzz. Congrats to those guys.”
Brown said it’s a good deal for Garrett to go to a contender, but that the Bengals can’t be concerned about what other teams are doing.
“It doesn’t matter. You still have to go win on Sundays. Congrats to Myles. That’s how I feel. We still have to go win,” Brown said.
With Garrett gone, the Bengals’ task of winning twice against the Browns this year gets a little easier.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said earlier this offseason that Shemar Stewart’s development is a “priority” for the team.
The Bengals drafted Stewart in the first round in 2205, but his rookie season was marred by missed time, because of a contract dispute, as well as injuries. He had a lingering ankle injury early in the season and a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Week 9.
He appeared in eight games with six tackles and a sack.
“Last year I would go out there, and I’m saying, ‘I somewhat know what I need to do, but I’m not 100 percent sure,’” Stewart said this week, via Jay Morrison of SI.com. “And then I go out there and I overthink. Then I don’t make a play. Then it’s just a whole lot of things because I’m just too up in here.”
Stewart has formed a close relationship with defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, which he thinks will help in his development.
“I think I got my first ‘good job,’ from Jerry,” Stewart said. “That’s my guy. He never gave up on me. Always held me close even though when I wasn’t performing good, he always stood by me.”
Stewart does not project as a starter for the Bengals with free-agent signee Boye Mafe and Myles Murphy expected to hold those spots. But the Bengals still have big expectations for Stewart.
“I’ve still got a lot of work to do, but I’m so excited to play with these guys,” Stewart said. “We got two monsters added to the room, so I can’t wait to see how this year turns out.”
The next two drafts have been awarded. The third one could be on the way.
Via the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Cincinnati Regional Sports Commission and the Bengals have engaged in an “ongoing conversation with the NFL” to host the 2029 NFL draft.
Per the report, the Bengals have submitted a letter of interest. Cincinnati has not submitted a formal bid at this point.
For now, there’s no timeline for a decision.
The 2027 NFL draft will be held in D.C. Last week, the NFL awarded the 2028 NFL draft to Minneapolis.
If the draft happens in Cincinnati, where would it occur? Said Cincinnati Regional Sports Commission executive director Ben Huffman, “Wherever [the NFL] would like it to be, we will make it happen.”
That’s the right attitude. Nearly every NFL city wants the draft. That gives the NFL the ability to dictate any and all terms to any city that gets it.
The rash of 2024 burglaries targeting NFL players (including Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce) has resulted in more arrests.
Via ESPN, authorities in Argentina recently apprehended three Chilean citizens in connection with the crimes: Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Bastian Jimenez Freraut, and Pablo Zuniga Cartes.
The men are currently in Chile, awaiting extradition to the United States.
The crime ring also is tied to the 2024 burglary at the home of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
The burglaries allegedly included tracking the travel of athletes, along with technology that bypassed alarm systems and jammed WiFi networks. The group allegedly stole millions in cash, jewelry, and other property.
The three men arrested in Argentina are among seven who were charged in February 2025, in connection with the burglaries. Three others are awaiting trial for the Burrow burglary. Another pleaded guilty in March 2026 to interstate transportation of stolen property.
Edge rusher Myles Murphy set career highs for sacks, tackles and quarterback hits during the 2025 season, but his improvement wasn’t enough to convince the Bengals to guarantee his return for the 2027 season.
The Bengals declined to exercise their option for a fifth season with the 2023 first-round pick and Murphy said he understands why the team made the decision. The Bengals made a lot of investments in veteran defensive players this offseason and director of player personnel Duke Tobin cited those moves while breaking the news to Murphy.
“I knew it was a possibility,” Murphy said, via Laurel Pfahler of the Dayton Daily News. “Duke and everyone upstairs, they’ve been pretty transparent on ‘we spent a lot of money this offseason.’ So, it does make sense. We talk. No hard feelings. We talk about everything, so really, just doing my job right now, getting ready for the upcoming season, trying to be in the best shape I can be, the best teammate I can be.”
Murphy said that Tobin said the team has interest in signing Murphy to an extension, but it seems likely that any next steps will come after seeing how Murphy performs on the field this fall. That sets up the 2026 season as a pivotal one.
“What happens in the business world or off the field, you cannot let that affect you,” Murphy said. “You won’t be at your best when it comes time to play football. So, I think at the end of the day, fifth year or not, extension or not, I’ve got to be at my best regardless.”
Murphy had three sacks in the final four games of the 2025 season and picking up where he left off will lead to a big contract somewhere next spring.
The Bengals are trying to end a streak of three years without a playoff berth. To get there, they’ve added former Chiefs safety Bryan Cook.
With the three-year, $40.25 million contract, the Bengals added both a skilled defender and a player who has been part of three Super Bowl teams and two NFL champions.
For now, Cook is working to help himself and his teammates get ready for the grind to come.
“I’m doing the best I can learning the system and learning the plays, learning the guys and the locker room,” Cook said this week, via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Just be who I can be for the team and go from there.”
It’s going to take some time. And Cook plans to take full advantage of the time he has.
“It feels like forever to the first game,” Cook said. “These are important days that you have to stack to get to that point of being very comfortable about who we are and I’m very excited about that. What we can bring to the table going into the regular season and hopefully the postseason.”
With the Bengals currently favored in 15 of their 17 regular-season games, playoffs are the minimum expectation. And quarterback Joe Burrow proved, both in 2021 and 2022, that when he gets to the postseason he unlocks an even higher level of performance.
“You need a quarterback first and foremost, and weapons on offense,” Cook said. “We’ve found some pieces on defense and changed the mentality going into the offseason. They’ve put up a lot of points. I know if we can stop them, it can turn into a blowout really quickly.”
It’s more than that. A team needs to find a way to work together. To support each other. To know each other.
“I’m listening to the guys, trying to understand where they’re coming from and how they move,” Cook said. “How can I reach this person if need be. Reading and seeing that person. You never know what somebody is going through no matter what day it is. Just being somebody to lean on these guys.”
The goal is clear, for Cook, Burrow, and the Bengals.
“Now it’s just trying to get over this hump so you can say you did something that’s never been done in franchise history,” Cook said.
The Bengals have been to the Super Bowl three times. The next step is to get there and win it. There’s an urgency to do it sooner rather than later, especially since the recent struggles have raised a fair question as to whether Burrow will start exploring his options elsewhere, if the Bengals can’t get him where he wants to go.
After three straight years with no playoff appearances, the pressure is on the Bengals in 2026. Quarterback Joe Burrow’s assessment of the improvements the team has made since a disappointing 6-11 performance in 2025 will only increase the expectations.
Making the bar even higher is the fact that, for now, the Bengals are favored in 15 of their 17 regular-season games.
Via DraftKings, the Bengals are the underdogs only in Week 2 (+2.5, at Texans) and Week 7 (+3.5, at Ravens). The Bengals’ over-under for their win total is currently 9.6.
All of the lines can, and most will, change. But the current assessment of the Bengals is that they will be serious contenders in 2026. Which will set the stage for potentially significant changes if they fail to make the playoffs for a fourth straight year.
The most obvious change, if the team misses the postseason, would happen on the coaching staff — starting at the top. The more pressing question would become whether Burrow will fully commit for an eighth season, or whether he’d seek a mid-career change of scenery.
