Bengals Near Top of NFL Resource Rankings Across Cap Space and Draft Capital Breakdown

CINCINNATI — The 2026 offseason is set up really well for the Cincinnati Bengals' resources. NFL.com editor Zak Koeppel ranked the assets of every NFL team entering the offseason, and the Bengals ranked seventh among all 32 teams.

They hold the seventh-most cap space and 14th-best draft capital mix to slot firmly in the top 10.

"After making back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances in 2021 and '22 (with a near win in Super Bowl LVI), the Bengals have now missed the playoffs in three straight seasons of what should be Joe Burrow's prime," Koeppel wrote. "Whether this downturn is more due to Burrow's injuries or a defense that has struggled mightily is debatable. What's clear is that some serious changes must be made in Cincinnati. Luckily for the Bengals, they have the resources available to be an active offseason player.

"Cincinnati ranks seventh in the NFL with $53.4 million in cap space. Furthermore, Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins are all locked up with contracts that won't need adjusting this offseason. The Bengals also have the 10th overall pick in the draft, marking the highest selection they've held since taking Chase fifth overall in 2021. Priority No. 1 will be adding to a defense that ranked 31st in the NFL in 2025, especially with Trey Hendrickson set to depart in free agency after a contract battle that spilled over into the public. Cincy's certainly a team in the spotlight this offseason."

Cincinnati can sign more than a handful of defensive players next month with all the cap space they've settled on, plus, no major cap spikes in Burrow's contract over the rest of the deal (hits a maximum 16.32% cap charge in 2027).

Injured Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) heads to the locker room after the fourth quarter of the NFL 16 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. The Steelers won 34-11. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin knows the pressure is on to put a winning roster together.

"It goes without saying that this season is not what we expect, certainly not what we will accept, and everybody here knows that," Tobin said last month. "It was frustrating, it was challenging, it was disappointing for all of us, but more importantly, it was all those things for our fans. We feel that. That weighs on us. It hurts us because we know they have high expectations for us. We embrace those high expectations. Believe me, we have high expectations for this football team as well. We didn't meet those expectations."

Check out the full rankings from NFL.com here.

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