CINCINNATI — The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t have a complicated plan against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Apply pressure. Unsettle the quarterback. Win a Super Bowl.
The Eagles pressured Mahomes 16 times and sacked him six times in a 40-22 win. Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio implemented the plan without having to blitz Mahomes even once.
It was a byproduct of a well-built front that featured young players. That is notable for the Cincinnati Bengals, especially given what quarterback Joe Burrow said last week.
During his press tour in New Orleans on radio row, Burrow indirectly referenced a key component of Cincinnati’s roster strategy that needs to be better — having rookies produce immediately.
“We need our young guys to come on,” Burrow said on ESPN’s “First Take” when asked about what the team needs defensively. “We need to draft well. We need guys to come in and produce immediately. We don’t have time to wait around.”
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Burrow confident Bengals can get back to Super Bowl
Joe Burrow talks about the missed opportunities from this season and why he expects the Bengals to get back to another Super Bowl in the future.
The conversation around the defense last season centered on the lack of pass rush help surrounding defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and led the league in sacks with 17.5.
Cincinnati tried to strengthen the line by investing significant capital. The Bengals carried a $63.2 million combined salary cap charge last season for their defensive tackles and defensive ends. Since 2021, the Bengals have used five top 100 draft picks on defensive linemen or linebackers. During that span, those picks have produced just 17.5 sacks for Cincinnati.
Those numbers were top of mind when the Bengals made coaching staff changes after missing the playoffs last season. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was dismissed after six seasons and defensive line coach Marion Hobby was also not retained. Al Golden, a former Bengals assistant who spent the last three years as Dame’s defensive coordinator, replaced Anarumo.
Golden and Burrow are on the same page regarding young players and productivity. During Golden’s introductory press conference on Jan. 27, he said he took pride in the number of freshmen who were key contributors on a Notre Dame team that went all the way to the College Football Playoff championship game.
When the Bengals make the call to draft players this April, the process to get rookies acclimated will start immediately.
“There has to be a quick transition,” Golden said. “They have to know precisely where their eyes need to go in the playbook, exactly what techniques we’re teaching and take the source to them and go right to them in terms of how they learn best.”
Golden and the Bengals have a litany of offseason issues to address on the defensive line.
Hendrickson is angling for a new contract for a second straight offseason and indicated that a new deal or a trade might be the only two viable options. Joseph Ossai, a 2021 third-round pick, is set to enter free agency after a career-high five sacks last season. Cincinnati could also be looking to replace defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, who played in just seven games last year after signing with the team in free agency in 2024.
There are still some promising options on the roster. Rookie defensive tackles Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson appeared to settle into their respective roles by the end of last season. Defensive end Myles Murphy, the team’s first-round pick in 2023 who suffered a knee injury during the last training camp, has come close to increasing production. Among players drafted in the last two seasons, Murphy ranks sixth in pressure rate but 31st in quarterback hits, per ESPN Research.
For years, it’s been no secret the Bengals need impactful defensive players on rookie deals to offset the expenses that come with giving contract extensions to Burrow and potentially wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Philadelphia’s Super Bowl victory was a shining example of a youthful defense spurring a team to a trophy. Players the Eagles drafted with a top 100 pick in recent years accounted for 3.5 sacks and 7 quarterback hits against Kansas City.
The blueprint is there for the Bengals to follow. And Burrow told ESPN last week that he’s seen enough to have hope that Cincinnati’s young defenders can provide a boost in 2025.
“I think we have the young guys that are capable of going into an offseason, training the way they need to, taking advantage of all the opportunities that they can and come out and play well early,” Burrow said.
