The Cincinnati Bengals are missing the mark.
On Tuesday’s edition of “Get Up,” former Steelers safety and current ESPN NFL personality Ryan Clark said the Bengals are wasting Joe Burrow’s prime years as the team enters another season with what is expected to be a horrific run defense.
“Absolutely,” Clsrk responded when host Mike Greenberg asked if he’s concerned that the Bengals are “wasting” Burrow’s peak years.
“If you watched that game (Monday) night and you think about, especially early on last season, we’ve watched people run for more miles against the Cincinnati Bengals than (ultra-marathon runner) David Goggins.”
Despite re-signing star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals have done little to improve their defense while being in a contract standoff with star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson, who tallied 17 1/2 sacks last season while no other Bengal had more than five, is holding out of training camp while looking for a new contract.
First-round draft picks Shemar Stewart also battled the team over his contract before finally coming to terms and practicing.
The defense is so bad that Clark even added that Burrow played in that preseason game because he knows that this defense will not be able to hold opposing teams down for long and needs to prepare for a season filled with exorbitant production.
The Bengals also drew heat Monday for playing Burrow for three drives, which included him being sacked by a handful of defenders while he attempted to make a play.
“When you watch this in the preseason, you have to be sick to your stomach,” Clark added. “Because you know there’s going to be some games where you sit in the post-game press conference, that you scored 35, 38, maybe 41, and you still catch an L.”
Last year, Cincinnati allowed 25.5 points per game, 25th in the NFL
Zac Taylor’s group also lost five games in which they scored at least 27 points.
Hendrickson is supposedly ready to sit out games if he has to, as recent negotiations appear to have gone nowhere.
It is still possible that the Bengals could move him, which would only further deplete a defense already lacking talent.
Hendrickson tallied 17 1/2 sacks in each of the last two seasons while leading what’s mostly a poorly built unit around him.
Burrow led the NFL in passing yards in 2024, throwing for 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns with just nine interceptions for a 9-8 Bengals squad that missed the playoffs.