Bengals Secondary Placed in Low NFL Tier Ranking Ahead of 2026 Season

Cincinnati has to prove it's fixed its backend issues.

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II (20), right, is congratulated by Cincinnati Bengals safety Jordan Battle (27) after breaking up a pass in the second quarter during a Week 1 NFL preseason game between the Green Bay Packers and the Cincinnati Bengals,Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The CBS Sports NFL crew tiered all 32 NFL secondaries ahead of the 2026 NFL season, and the Bengals unit did not get high marks.

CBS Sports writer JP Acosta and former NFL cornerback Bryant McFadden have Cincinnati in the "Need More Talent" tier with teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers.

Plenty To Prove

Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden calls plays from the sideline in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 1 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. The Bengals begin the season with a 17-16 win over the Browns. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The two did not discuss the Bengals' side of this ranking on their "Pushing the Pile" podcast, but the unit clearly has to prove its worth this fall after being a big reason Cincinnati allowed the most yards per play in the NFL last season (6.2 YPP).

Defensive coordinator Al Golden is ready to turn that group around on the yards allowed front after it created a strong turnover rate (12%, eighth in the NFL last season). Still, the secondary allowed 8.3  yards per pass attempt when the front seven failed to generate pressure (29th).

Zac Taylor stamped the table for his staff this offseason, and the front office has followed that faith with big spending on the defensive side of the ball.

"Really excited, really excited about the direction these guys are going," Taylor said about the staff. "A lot of the new guys on defense, O-line guys, are really pleased with how they just fit as a staff. The type of people they are, the type of workers they are, their football IQ, their ability to work well with others, and adapt to the scheme, and have great ideas. 

"And I think that we've got a really strong collection of coaches. That I always feel this way, that over the next 10 years, you're gonna see unbelievable things from everybody on the staff. And I see them every day and know what they're capable of. Don't ever wanna lose any of them, cuz I think we have a really, really, really strong coaching staff.”

Check out all the tiers from CBS Sports below:

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