Check out the largely rough grades for the signing from a few major outlets:
“The Bengals have spent this week focusing on improving their defense, adding hometown kid Bryan Cook as a safety from the Chiefs, along with defensive end Boye Mafe,” the site stated. “On Thursday, Cincinnati added defensive tackle Jonathan Allen on a two-year deal worth $26 million and up to $28 million.
“Allen, 31, spent last season with the Vikings after playing his first eight years in Washington. In Minnesota, he played all 17 games, notching 3.5 sacks, along with 11 quarterback hits and seven tackles for loss. At this point, Allen is a declining talent, but he still offers a pass-rush threat inside who can also play in all situations, as evidenced by his 76% snap share in 2025.”
“A year ago, I handed the Vikings a D+ for signing Allen to an expensive contract shortly after he had been cut by the Commanders, which called for him to make $16.2 million in 2025 and fully guaranteed $8 million of his $17 million in cash due in 2026. Now this year, the Vikings cut Allen after a lackluster first season in Minnesota, and the Bengals are going to pick up some of the tab, and then some,” Seth Walder wrote. “Allen’s numbers last season were not great: 3.5 sacks, a 32nd percentile pass rush win rate at defensive tackle (despite being double-teamed at a lower-than-average rate), and a 24th percentile run stop win rate. There have been criticisms levied that Brian Flores’ system does not lend itself to pass-rushing production from defensive tackles, and it’s possible that this hurt Allen’s numbers. But that would not explain Allen’s lack of production (three sacks, 13th percentile pass rush win rate) in eight games in 2024 for the Commanders.
“Allen was a very good defensive tackle earlier in his career. But the numbers clearly paint a picture of a 31-year-old player who is well into his decline. And I think the Bengals are overpaying him based on what he did several years ago. Cincinnati needs to improve its defense, and I understand wanting more pass rush from its interior. B.J. Hill, T.J. Slaton, and Kris Jenkins Jr. all had below-average pass-rush win rates for a defensive tackle last season. But this is too much to pay for what will likely be too little. There’s another wrinkle here that affects Allen’s old team. Though the Vikings had guaranteed $8 million of Allen’s 2026 money, the defensive tackle had offset language in that deal. Which means that the Vikings could receive a cap credit at the end of the season for whatever the Bengals pay Allen in 2026. While we don’t know the structure of the deal yet, that could be a nice break for Minnesota.”
“Allen’s PFF grade over the past three seasons has been below 60.0, but has been driven by his struggles against the run,” the site stated. “Despite slowing down a bit as a pass-rusher, he still earned a 64.9 PFF pass-rush grade last year, which ranked 47th out of the 113 interior defenders with 300 or more snaps in 2025. The problem is that it’s a lot of money for someone who is on the downside of their career and is likely best suited to a rotational role that keeps him fresh to rush the passer.”
Check out our instant grade here.
Sign Up For Our DAILY Newsletter for More Free Coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals Delivered to You Directly
Join the 63,000+ Bengals fans who subscribe to us on YouTube. Follow us on X: @BengalsTalkSI. Join the 117,000+ Bengals Fans That Have Liked Our Facebook Page. Subscribe and follow the Locked On Bengals Podcast: the ONLY Daily Bengals Podcast. Join the 49,000+ Bengals Fans That Follow Us on TikTok.…Read more by Russell Heltman