The Cincinnati Bengals won’t get a shot at superstar defender Chris Jones, not with the defensive tackle and the Kansas City Chiefs agreeing on a massive extension before free agency opens.
But it goes a little deeper than that.
Yes, Jones to the Bengals has been a fun theory for fans on social media. It wasn’t that outlandish that Jones might look at a contender such as Cincinnati if the Chiefs couldn’t make it work, either.
But more concerning now is how the interior defensive lineman market is shaping up. Jones going back to the Chiefs and Justin Madubuike getting a massive extension with the Baltimore Ravens leaves Cincinnati’s DJ Reader as one of the top left on the market.
Reader’s future with the Bengals was already complicated before these market developments because of the torn quad he suffered late last season — his second injury of that variety since joining the team.
When healthy, Reader is one of the best in the NFL, which would explain why the Bengals have already expressed an interest in bringing him back. But that injury outlook made it hard to see just what type of contract he’ll earn and if the Bengals will play ball.
Now, given the shape of the market, it might not matter. If another team panics and throws more cash at Reader despite the injury risk, the Bengals could be out the centerpiece of the defense and need to shift that to the top of the needs list.
