Bengals Top Remaining 2026 Free Agent Linebacker Options On Free Agency Day Three

CINCINNATI — The Bengals need to add linebacker help in free agency this week or beyond, and the choices are not plentiful anymore.

Cincinnati is down to veteran options in the linebacker market after fielding arguably the worst linebacker play in the NFL last season. The trio of Oren Burks (30.2 Pro Football Focus Grade), Demetrius Knight Jr (40.2 PFF grade), and Barrett Carter (39.5 PFF grade) was absolutely horrendous.

The latter two can grow through more reps as second-year players, but Burks cannot be the veteran they run with again in 2026. Let's look at the three best candidates left on the board that make sense for Cincinnati.

Bobby Wagner

The 35-year-old has posted 79-plus PFF grades in each of the past four seasons and played over 1,100 snaps in every campaign since 2019. He has a one-year, $8 million projection from The Athletic.

Wagner could be the perfect one-year stopgap to fill a few key roles: Sound play in the middle of the defense, mentorship for the young players, and a chance for the NFL legend to get one more shot at a Super Bowl.

Whatever player Cincinnati decides on, the position needs some boosting to give Joe Burrow and the offense their best chance to pair for a championship. Wagner is still playing at a high level, unlike most of his 30-plus year old peers. He continues to be one of the best run-defending linebackers in the NFL.

Willie Gay

The 28-year-old thumper may not be a starting-level option after failing to crack 300 snaps in each of the past two seasons, but he posted a solid 66.7 PFF grade in 2025 and will be cheap (one-year, $1.5 million projection on PFF).

Gay tallied 20 tackles and two pass breakups as a backup for the Dolphins last season. PFF projects him to land a one-year, $1.5 million deal.

Shaq Thompson

Shaq hompson — Buffalo Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson (45) looks over his shoulder after an interception during the first quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Another veteran with some warts, like Gay, Thompson played in just 16 games over the last two seasons, but has performed well when on the field.

The 28-year-old has graded out at 65 or better on PFF in each of the past five seasons. He had 56 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and two pass breakups this past season across 545 snaps. That snap count was his highest since 2021, so he could be healthier than ever and ready to help save this position for Cincinnati.

Thompson is another cheap projection, with PFF slotting him to earn a one-year, $1.65 million deal. Nearly all of the other options for Cincinnati are either very old, playing poorly lately, or both. Broncos cap casualty Dre Greenlaw could be an option as well, but he's been highly-injured the past two seasons, playing just 420 snaps in 2024 and 2025.

The Bengals look like they may have to address the position again in the draft, even if they sign one of these more ideal options.

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