Bengals’ Jonathan Allen Signing Hit With Mixed Grades From NFL Media

CINCINNATI — The Bengals added Jonathan Allen in free agency on Thursday to boost their rough defensive line play from last season. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the 31-year-old inked a two-year deal worth $26 million and up to $28 million.

The former Viking and Commander has played great football for much of his career, but he tailed off a bit in the past few seasons. Age is a concern at 31 years old.

He has not posted a season-long Pro Football Focus grade above 60 in the past three campaigns. On the pressure front, he tallied 34 and 26 QB pressures over the past two seasons. Before that, he'd posted four consecutive seasons with at least 45 pressures. It's possible he could dip back into his old abilities, and be a great leader on defense.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (6) is knocked down by Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (93) as he gets a pass off in the second quarter of the NFL Week 3 game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Check out the largely rough grades for the signing from a few major outlets:

Sports Illustrated: C+

"The Bengals have spent this week focusing on improving their defense, adding hometown kid Bryan Cook as a safety from the Chiefs, along with defensive end Boye Mafe," the site stated. "On Thursday, Cincinnati added defensive tackle Jonathan Allen on a two-year deal worth $26 million and up to $28 million.

"Allen, 31, spent last season with the Vikings after playing his first eight years in Washington. In Minnesota, he played all 17 games, notching 3.5 sacks, along with 11 quarterback hits and seven tackles for loss. At this point, Allen is a declining talent, but he still offers a pass-rush threat inside who can also play in all situations, as evidenced by his 76% snap share in 2025."

ESPN: D

"A year ago, I handed the Vikings a D+ for signing Allen to an expensive contract shortly after he had been cut by the Commanders, which called for him to make $16.2 million in 2025 and fully guaranteed $8 million of his $17 million in cash due in 2026. Now this year, the Vikings cut Allen after a lackluster first season in Minnesota, and the Bengals are going to pick up some of the tab, and then some," Seth Walder wrote. "Allen's numbers last season were not great: 3.5 sacks, a 32nd percentile pass rush win rate at defensive tackle (despite being double-teamed at a lower-than-average rate), and a 24th percentile run stop win rate. There have been criticisms levied that Brian Flores' system does not lend itself to pass-rushing production from defensive tackles, and it's possible that this hurt Allen's numbers. But that would not explain Allen's lack of production (three sacks, 13th percentile pass rush win rate) in eight games in 2024 for the Commanders.

"Allen was a very good defensive tackle earlier in his career. But the numbers clearly paint a picture of a 31-year-old player who is well into his decline. And I think the Bengals are overpaying him based on what he did several years ago. Cincinnati needs to improve its defense, and I understand wanting more pass rush from its interior. B.J. Hill, T.J. Slaton, and Kris Jenkins Jr. all had below-average pass-rush win rates for a defensive tackle last season. But this is too much to pay for what will likely be too little. There's another wrinkle here that affects Allen's old team. Though the Vikings had guaranteed $8 million of Allen's 2026 money, the defensive tackle had offset language in that deal. Which means that the Vikings could receive a cap credit at the end of the season for whatever the Bengals pay Allen in 2026. While we don't know the structure of the deal yet, that could be a nice break for Minnesota."

PFF: Below Average

"Allen's PFF grade over the past three seasons has been below 60.0, but has been driven by his struggles against the run," the site stated. "Despite slowing down a bit as a pass-rusher, he still earned a 64.9 PFF pass-rush grade last year, which ranked 47th out of the 113 interior defenders with 300 or more snaps in 2025. The problem is that it's a lot of money for someone who is on the downside of their career and is likely best suited to a rotational role that keeps him fresh to rush the passer."

Check out our instant grade here.

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