Bengals predicted to fortify guard spot by signing $49 million 5-time Pro Bowler

The Cincinnati Bengals didn't have their best season in 2024, finishing with a 9-8 record, in third place in the AFC North and on the outside of the postseason bracket.

Since then, Cincinnati has done a fair amount to keep their stars happy, including extending Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but they've also lost key contributors such as Sam Hubbard, Mike Hilton, Vonn Bell, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Alex Cappa and Sheldon Rankins.

The Bengals haven't done much to improve their roster and give themselves a better chance at making it out of the division and competing in the playoffs. In fact, they've only signed five players that played for other teams in 2025 - Samaje Perine, Lucas Patrick, Oren Burks, Joe Giles-Harris and Tedarrell Slaton.

At this point in the offseason, Cincinnati still has some cap space left to work with, and adding one more piece could make all the difference. On Wednesday, Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron suggested that the Bengals sign free-agent guard Brandon Scherff before their season opener.

Scherff, 33, was the fifth overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft following a collegiate career at Iowa from 2010-14, where he won Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year once and earned All-Big Ten honors twice and All-American honors once.

He spent his first seven seasons in the league with Washington, making five Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team while appearing in and starting 89 games.

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Scherff's play with Washington earned him a three-year, $49.5 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022. He started all 51 possible games with the Jaguars and over the last two year's his 78.0 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked in the 94th percentile.

Cincinnati has struggled to protect Joe Burrow in recent years, and in the interior offensive line has often been the culprit. Subbing out Cappa (now with the Las Vegas Raiders) and Cordell Volson (still on the roster) for any two of Patrick, Scherff and third-round pick Dylan Fairchild should be a major upgrade and could help the Bengals achieve their ultimate goals of making a run at the Super Bowl in 2025.

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