Cincinnati Bengals Limit 2026 Talent Ceiling With Latest Salary Cap Mismanagement

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati is not maximizing its salary cap resources in a meaningful way this offseason. Cap hits for the top free agents to sign so far in the past week crystallized in recent days, and two of Cincinnati's three signings are near the top entirely because the Bengals chose to swallow up that much space.

The Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook deals are perfect examples, as the Bengals loaded up the Year-One cap hits for both. According to Joe Goodberry, Mafe is slated to have at least the second or third-highest cap hit among any free-agent defensive ends to sign this year.

Here are the 2026 Cap Hits for the top free agents.

$17.0m - Boye Mafe 🐅
$16.7m - Tyler Linderbaum
$14.7m - Daniel Jones
$10.7m - Bryan Cook 🐅
$10.7m - Cordale Flott
$9.7M - Quay Walker
$9.2M - Alec Pierce
$5.7m - Kenneth Walker

Still need numbers for John…
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) March 15, 2026

Wasting Resources

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) and quarterback Joe Burrow (9) celebrate a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 17 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. The Bengals took a 30-24 win in overtime to remain in the post season chase. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bengals could create a lot more than the roughly $31 million in cap space (closer to $20 million in their view with how these contracts have been structured) by restructuring the big Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase contracts, but more big additions would nullify their chance at getting a 2027 third-round compensatory pick for Trey Hendrickson's exit.

Worrying about a player you might take in the third round next year that could maybe turn into a starter in 2028 or 2029 defines one word: Malpractice.

Cincinnati employs arguably the world's best passer of the football for the first time in its history, and they refuse to change their financial ways to give Joe Burrow the best chance to win.

Alas, they rank 13th in Over The Cap's total cash spending tracking. Burrow's peers in Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson all have teams spending more cash than Cincinnati this offseason. The lone time Cincinnati spent among the top 10 teams in total cash during the Burrow era was in the 2021 season, when they went to the only Super Bowl the franchise has played in this century, and his rookie year.

Outside of the immediate spending, they also don't utilize void years at the end of big contracts to help stockpile current resources. It's another reason why the roster talent level this decade peaked in 2021 and 2022, while playing in the most popular league in America. The cap spikes upward each year, offsetting a lot of the potential downfall, especially when you have an elite quarterback for a fleeting amount of time.

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin claims he and the front office are "all in" every offseason, but actions speak much louder than those words.

"I've been doing this for a long time. I've never not been all in," Tobin said at the 2026 NFL Combine. "We are all in. We are trying to get the best team possible with the resources we have. You know, last year we went all in. We signed over $400 million worth of contracts, going all in. That's what we do. We want to be all in. We're trying to put the best roster together every year, and this year is no different."

According to Over The Cap, Cincinnati has the 12th-most cap space in the NFL at $31.3 million, a figure Goodberry wishes the franchise would utilize more effectively.

"The other teams that gave out big Year 1 Cap Hits? Raiders, Titans, Cardinals.
Because they don't have a QB to pay and had tons of cap space," Goodberry posted on X. "And it's not like the Bengals are offering less cash in year one. Their Year 1 Cash to APY ratio is amongst the highest in the league. They're not saving cash. They're not saving cap. They're just limiting their 2026 team. Again."

Check out more on the cap situation from Goodberry and cap expert Andre Perrota below:

Yes, the Bengals gave out the two highest 2026 Cap Hits to APY deals.

The average 2026 Cap Hit was 51% of the Average Per Year.

The other teams that gave out big Year 1 Cap Hits? Raiders, Titans, Cardinals.
Because they don't have a QB to pay and had tons of cap space.

And… pic.twitter.com/DcvHTQrdyn
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) March 16, 2026

With the recent talk of Bengals' FA contract structures, here was a contract structure I proposed for Boye Mafe last Sunday night on the eve of FA.

As many who follow me know, I was driving the "sign Mafe" bus since the middle of last season. Always liked his game and think he… https://t.co/alu4LygBzd
— Andre Perrotta (@andreperrotta13) March 16, 2026

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