Bengals

The Bengals have used the term “force multiplier” multiple times this offseason when asked about how they can improve their team. Cincinnati HC Zac Taylor mentioned that free agents appear to be the best approach for their team, knowing they already have an understanding of how to be successful in the NFL. 

“I do think with free agents, they know what the league looks like,” Taylor said, via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “They know what takes place in the locker room, what takes place in practice. They know what it looks like in a playoff game, a division game. They have the edge from that experience.”

Bengals DC Al Golden is excited about their strong “nucleus” of defensive players coming back in 2026. 

“I’m really excited about the nucleus we have coming back. It’s not a fresh start,” Golden said. “There are pieces there.”

As for former first-round DE Myles Murphy developing into an “elite” player, Golden wants to see if the edge rusher can take the next step. 

“Can he be a one?” Golden said. “Put him here right now, and he’s going to say yes, and I’m going to say yes, and (defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery) is going to say yes. Let’s see how good we can get.”

Browns

• The Browns enter the offseason with QBs Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and veteran Deshaun Watson on the roster. Cleveland OC Travis Switzer is excited about each of them: “I’m excited about the (QBs) we’ve got here. And it’s more than one.” (Tony Grossi)
• Switzer is still unsure if veteran LG Joel Bitonio will be back for 2026 or retire, per Scott Petrak. 
• Switzer added he’s motivated about players like TE Harold Fannin and WR Jerry Jeudy, along with their three quarterbacks: “There’s pieces here we’re excited about. Fannin, Jeudy, what Shedeur was able to show, Deshaun what he’s shown in the past, and Dillon, too, what he’s able to show. You don’t take a job unless you’re excited about the pieces.” (Grossi)
• Browns ST coordinator Byron Storer said they are “exploring all options” with free agent P Corey Bojorquez, per Petrak.
• On the topic of replicating former DC Jim Schwartz‘s system, DC Mike Rutenberg said they want to continue playing fast and violently: “It’s always going to be style over scheme. The way we play, how fast we play, how violent we play. It’s always going to start with the front.” (Grossi) 

Ravens

Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike missed 15 games last season because of a neck injury. When asked about Madubuike, GM Eric DeCosta said they will continue to wait for more information on Madubuike. 

“There are a lot of unknowns when you build a team, and sometimes — I learned from [executive vice president] Ozzie [Newsome] — sometimes, the best thing to do is just wait for more information, and that’s what we’ll continue to do,” DeCosta said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. 

Baltimore’s new HC Jesse Minter wouldn’t provide an update on Madubuike’s health, but mentioned that he’s “in a great frame of mind.” 

“You keep the players’ health and long-term longevity at the forefront of anything, and so, that’s what we’ll do,” Minter said. “We will have multiple plans in place, but just excited for him. He’s in a great frame of mind right now. He’s excited, so just excited to see how it all shakes out.”

DeCosta thinks losing Madubuike was a “horrible situation” for their defense, which impacted their productivity in “many ways.”  

“Not having Nnamdi this year was a horrible situation for our team,” DeCosta said. “I think it affected us in different ways — in many ways. He is a great player, a great person [and] a special person. [We are] still working through a lot of his different ideas and things [so] that we can hopefully get more and more information about his situation.”

Steelers

• Aaron Rodgers is currently set to be a free agent, while he has an obvious connection with Steelers’ new HC Mike McCarthy from their time together with the Packers. Rodgers said of McCarthy: “Mike’s one of the great guys in the league. … We had a lot of great years together. A lot of fun. … I loved my time with Mike over the years. It’s like a big brother – sometimes you love them, sometimes you’re pissed at them.” (Brooke Pryor)
• As for his future, Rodgers said he’s spoken to McCarthy and GM Omar Khan, and there is “no deadline” for his decision: “I’ve been spending a lot of time with my wife, we went on a ski trip, been laying low. … I’ve talked to Mike, I’ve talked to Omar. There’s no deadline put in front of me, no contract offer to debate over.” (Pryor)
• Rodgers highly praised backup QB Will Howard, saying he poured time into the 2025 sixth-round pick: “I really wanted to pour into Will….anyone that was in Latrobe watching practice could say, ‘damn, this Will Howard kid is pretty good.’” (Nick Farabaugh)
• Regarding Pittsburgh bringing in coaches from Rodgers’ time with the Packers, like McCarthy and OL coach James Campen, the veteran quarterback responded: “Obviously that would be a draw if I decided to go down that path, but it takes two to tangle.” (Pryor)

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