Bengals’ trade deadline priority just became crystal clear if Cincinnati wants to capitalize on 5-2 start this season

The Cincinnati Bengals have one more game to play before the NFL trade deadline arrives. They don’t need any more evidence to know they have to make a move.

John Sheeran — Cincinnati Bengals News Writer

Nov 2, 2026 8:40 AM EST

The Cincinnati Bengals have one more game to play before the NFL trade deadline arrives. Following a shootout 43-36 overtime win over the Tennessee Titans, they don’t need any more evidence to know they have to make a move.

Much has been said about the Bengals’ being a logical fit for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. It has become clear, however, that an upgrade at running back won’t move the needle nearly as much as an upgrade at several other spots on Cincinnati’s roster would.

It’s time for the Bengals to focus on making their defense better before it’s too late. Cincinnati needs to be making calls to add a cornerback, linebacker, or safety before the Nov. 10 deadline. All three positions have definitive weaknesses that don’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

Bengals’ close win over Titans exposes many defensive holes

The Bengals roster a defense that features a quality pass rush, and not much else behind it. Cincinnati has undeniable issues within its back seven. Every position group behind the defensive line poses notable problems that do not look completely fixable nearly halfway into the season.

The CB room has been impacted by injuries for weeks before Sunday’s win. DJ Ivey has been starting in relief for a month and has been regularly picked on by opposing offenses. DJ Turner II now has an ankle injury, which may only make that situation worse depending on his prognosis. Dax Hill is the only Week 1 starter healthy, and he was benched midway through the first half for Josh Newton, who had a rough game in relief.

Problems at linebacker remain the same. Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. are still major liabilities in coverage. Tight ends continue to carve up the Bengals over the middle of the field, as evidenced by Gunnar Helm leading Tennessee with 74 receiving yards on five receptions. Depth behind Carter and Knight is nonexistent, so there are no internal answers here.

Safety play is an issue, too. Jordan Battle had some success in man coverage against Helm late in the afternoon, but he’s far too inconsistent as a tackler. Fellow starter Bryan Cook had his own issues in that department Sunday. Kyle Dugger, the team’s main backup S, is week-to-week with a quad injury.

Titans quarterback Cam Ward took advantage of all of these issues in having his best passing performance of his career. If Ward and a lowly Titans offense can pick them apart, ignoring all of these weak points can’t be an option any longer. 

Defense has to be the priority at the trade deadline

The Bengals still have their stars on offense. They can score over 30 points in any given week, as evidenced by their last two games coming out of the bye week.

The Taylor trade idea was fun to think about, but it doesn’t even seem like the Bengals are serious contenders to land him anyway. So long as Joe Burrow can throw the football to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Chase Brown is a suitable enough starter at running back to keep that unit operational and highly functional. Brown topped 100 scrimmage yards for the first time all year against Tennessee.

Taylor would be a luxury. A new CB, LB, or S would be a necessity.

It’s getting to a point where the defense needs game-saving plays from its pass rush just to survive. Without the playmakers up front like Dexter Lawrence II and Boye Mafe, the back seven has too many holes to make it through an entire game. Even the rush may be without stud rookie Cashius Howell for a bit as he exited the game with an injury along with fellow EDGE Cedric Johnson.

The call for help is coming from the side of the ball that has needed it more over the last three years.

If the Bengals are good enough to make the playoffs, they’ll have to face some of the best offenses in the AFC. I struggle to imagine this group holding the likes of Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, or even Patrick Mahomes to low-scoring affairs with so many liabilities scattered around..

Injuries and clear deficiencies are piling up on defense, and that’s where Cincinnati’s focus needs to reside with the deadline quickly approaching. The Bengals have to decide whether they want to patch these holes now, or live with them in January.