The Bengals lean on proven winners as free agency gets underway

By Canadian Press on March 12, 2026.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Coming off a 6-11 season, the Cincinnati Bengals targeted two proven winners in free agency and rewarded another who was already in the building.

The Bengals announced Thursday that left offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. had agreed to a two-year extension through the 2028 season. The 29-year-old Brown, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 before joining the Bengals in free agency leading into the 2023 season.

With two more Super Bowl champs in safety Bryan Cook and defensive end Boye Mafe also signing this week, Brown said he remains excited about the direction the Bengals are heading.

“We’ve got a lot of special players and a lot of special men in that locker room,” Brown said. “We’ve got one of the hardest pieces of the puzzle in Joe Burrow, so I think it’s important for everyone else around him, including myself, to step up to the plate.”

Cook, who won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs in his first four years in the league, had the best season of his career in 2025 and now joins the Bengals on a three-year contract.

Cook returns to his hometown of Cincinnati, where he also played college football at the University of Cincinnati.

“My family, we’ve been talking about this for a long time, being able to come back home,” Cook said. “I’m excited for the opportunity and the new chapter in my life.”

During Cook’s rookie NFL season in 2022, he created an interception by tipping a pass on one of the most important plays of the Chiefs’ AFC championship game win over the Bengals. The Bengals are looking for Cook to make these types of clutch plays in big games over the next few years, and Cook has high hopes for Cincinnati.

“We’ve done it (before),” Cook said. “We can get it done again. That’s always the goal. That’s what we do it for.”

Cook fills a need at free safety that the Bengals hadn’t been able to effectively address since safety Jessie Bates III signed with the Atlanta Falcons before the 2023 season.

Cook’s aggressive style, consistent tackling and playmaking ability are an upside for the Bengals defense.

“He’s going to bring a ton of great energy,” said Brown, who played with Cook in Kansas City in 2022. “He’s a fierce competitor. He loves the game. He has got a lot of personality, you’ve just got to get it out of him a bit. When he first got to Kansas City, he was immediately in the mix in terms of being a guy in the locker room that vets respected.”

The Bengals replaced Trey Hendrickson, who signed with the Baltimore Ravens, by signing defensive end Boye Mafe to a three-year deal. Mafe won a Super Bowl title with the Seattle Seahawks last month, and he’s one of the most athletic young defensive ends in the NFL.

Mafe led the Seahawks in sacks in 2023. A scheme change and further additions to Seattle’s roster led to a reduced role for him. With the Bengals, the 27-year-old Mafe will get the opportunity to be a No. 1 pass rusher again.

“Coming here, talking to the coaches and talking about their plans for the future and what they want to do and build here, that’s what excites me,” Mafe said. “Being a part of the building and seeing it grow, that’s what excites me. Cincinnati has what they need. It’s one of those teams people are going to know about soon.”

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Charlie Goldsmith, The Associated Press