Bengals Predicted to Sign Broncos $15 Million Defender to Fix Major Need

The story of the Cincinnati Bengals offseason revolves around the defense and free agent Trey Hendrickson.

Hendrickson and the Bengals seem like a divorced couple at this point. The bridge between the two sides has been burned and there's no recovering from it. As a result, the Bengals are either going to lose him in free agency or franchise tag him and trade him to a contender. Either way, it feels like he's played his last game with the team.

Cincinnati's defense is one of the worst units in the league with or without Hendrickson. They need to fully revamp the unit from the ground up over the course of the next few months.

Christian D'Andrea of USA Today recently predicted the Bengals would bolster their defense by signing defensive end John Franklin-Myers away from the loaded Denver Broncos defense. Franklin-Myers is coming off a two-year, $15 million deal, but he's likely to sign for well over $10 million per year in free agency.

John Franklin-Myers Would Be a Huge Addition for the Bengals

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) reacts after a sack against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Cincinnati has the cap space to go after a higher profile pass rusher, but Franklin-Myers may be the best fit for the Bengals' four-man front," D'Andrea wrote. "He's probably going to get a hefty, but not top-of-market contract that could save enough money to patch up the myriad other holes in the league's 29th-ranked defense. The veteran lineman can generate pressure as a three- or four-technique and generated a stop on 20 percent of his run defensive snaps, making him the kind of rising tide Cincy badly needs."

Franklin-Myers would be the perfect addition for the Bengals. Franklin-Myers has been incredibly consistent over the last five years, playing in at least 16 games in each season. In that same span of time, he's recorded 29 sacks and 30 tackles for loss.

This is the kind of addition that will boost the Bengals defense, but it won't cripple their payroll. Franklin-Myers was a huge piece of the defensive front in Denver last season. He could sign with Cincinnati alongside a few other free agents and help rebuild a unit that must improve if the Bengals are going to get back to the playoffs.

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