The Bengals released defensive tackle Mike Pennel, the team announced on Tuesday. Pennel, 34, played in eight games for the Bengals, seeing action on 133 defensive snaps and 41 on special teams. He has 15 tackles. The 12-year veteran has played for six teams, appearing in 146 games with 25 starts. He has totaled 246 tackles and five sacks.

It’s worth debating whether the Cincinnati Bengals should actually green-light Joe Burrow’s return from injury later this season, provided he’s ready to go. The Bengals, defensively, are a disaster, with Al Golden’s unit the culprit behind a stunning loss to the formerly winless New York Jets.

The Cincinnati Bengals defense went young. Two rookie linebackers and a rookie edge rusher, all starting. A cast of unproven recent NFL Draft picks across the defensive line. Even the secondary, experienced by comparison, still has four starters on rookie deals.

The Cincinnati Bengals honoring Logan Wilson’s trade request seems unlikely as the NFL calendar turns to Week 9. But the Bengals have already left their comfort zone once before this year’s NFL trade deadline with the aggressive move to go get Joe Flacco,

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Oct. 28 that the team is working out former Baltimore Ravens safety Eddie Jackson and former Cincinnati Bengals safety Vonn Bell. Steelers safety DeShon Elliott was carted off with a knee injury during Pittsburgh's Week 8 loss to Green Bay.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was looking for some leadership on the defensive side of the ball in the wake of Sunday's 39-38 loss to the Jets and players responded to that on Monday.

How to watch Sunday's Bears and Bengals game with streaming and radio information as well as the latest betting lines and trends.

The Bengals rank last in the NFL in scoring defense and total defense. Many of the rest of their numbers don't look much better.

Selected by the Saints with the 61st overall pick in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Bell made a splash in the AFC North as one of the Bengals' top safeties from 2020 to 2022 — before ultimately signing with the Carolina Panthers the following offseason.

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