Bengals’ final free agency splash signing isn’t as “head-scratching” as it appears on the surface

Cincinnati has a plan to make it work.

John Sheeran — Cincinnati Bengals News Writer

Mar 18, 2026 11:36 AM EDT

The third and final free agency splash made by the Cincinnati Bengals was signing defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $25 million (previously reported as $26 million) contract after he was released by the Minnesota Vikings.

Allen, who turned 31 in January, was still owed $8 million by the Vikings before his new deal with Cincinnati offset that guaranteed amount. It’s not every year you see the Bengals act so aggressively to sign a player who was made a salary cap casualty, but it certainly has garnered attention from outside the Queen City.

And to some, it’s a risk worth discussing.

Bengals signing Jonathan Allen deemed head-scratcher

ESPN had some of its writers break down their takeaways from the first week of free agency, including their most “head-scratching” move. Analytics writer Seth Walder pointed to the Bengals signing Allen to his new deal.

“The Bengals signing defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. The aforementioned Chubb signing and Kwity Paye’s deal with the Raiders are also great contenders for this superlative. But Allen getting as much as he did — two years, $26 million — as a 31-year-old coming off two straight years of declined performance (resulting in his release from the Commanders and Vikings) was really surprising. It also was a break for the Vikings. Allen had $8 million guaranteed from when they cut him — and they could get all of that money back depending on how the contract is structured.” — ESPN’s Seth Walder

Allen has seen his production drop-off over the last two years in which he played for two different clubs, but his pay rate has reflected that as well. He went from making $18 million a year with the Washington Commanders, to $17 million a year in Minnesota. Now he’s scheduled to make about $13 million a year for his new team.

That drop in pay may also be reflected in how much Allen actually plays for the Bengals.

How the Bengals can maximize Jonathan Allen’s value

Defensive tackles B.J. Hill and T.J. Slaton are still on the roster and will have significant roles. The three of them should be forming a balanced rotation to keep the 31-year old newcomer fresh in games to increase his rate of production.

“The tough part is there’s always a fine balance of not playing too much but also getting enough,” Allen said last week. “And for me, I’ve always struggled with that, because obviously I want to play as much as I can. So that’s something that we definitely talked about, finding that perfect balance between 65 to 75%, whatever the percentage may be, but I definitely think that’s important to being able to stay fresh for that throughout the course of the season.”

Keeping a rotation in mind should not only set up Allen for the best chances to produce when the Bengals need him to, but also ensure he stays productive throughout the course of a 17-game schedule. The former two-time Pro Bowler has played at least 700 snaps in seven of his nine seasons, with the exceptions being his rookie year in 2017, and in 2024 when he was out for two months with a pectoral injury.

Should Allen stay healthy and boost the Bengals’ pass rush when called upon, Cincinnati will gladly pay him his money over the next two seasons. And if this season doesn’t go according to plan, the club can release him and save $11.5 million in 2027 cap space while only taking on $3.5 million in dead cap.

A head-scratcher on the surface, perhaps, but the Bengals aren’t taking on as much risk with Allen as Walder may think.

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