Analyzing the preseason, Pat Mahomes Sr. didn’t hold back on his recent podcast appearance, saying the Bengals’ defense “still looks horrible.”
He pointed out that even though Cincinnati was in a contract standoff with star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, one man alone won’t change the overall picture.
His comments add fuel to the growing concerns in Cincinnati, where fans hoped this offseason would fix lingering defensive issues.
Instead, Mahomes Sr. suggests they’re stuck in the same frustrating cycle, needing more than one star to transform a weak unit into a championship-caliber defense.
Pat Mahomes Sr. Rips the Bengals Defense
What he said about Joe Burrow shows just how little faith Pat Mahomes Sr. has in Cincinnati’s defense.
“Well, I’ve been watching (and) the thing I think that I’ve noticed the most is the Bengals defense is still horrible,” Mahomes Sr. said.
He compared the current Bengals to the early Chiefs teams his son joined, stacked on offense but unable to get stops. Mahomes Sr. warned that this is a dangerous waste of talent.
“You only got Joe Burrow for so many years and Chase and all those guys working together. You figured you could put something together,” he added.
His point indicated clearly that Cincinnati can’t rely on Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase to keep carrying them while the defense lags behind. If they don’t fix it soon, Mahomes Sr. believes the Bengals risk squandering their prime years without a Super Bowl to show for it.
Bengals Defense Compared to Early Chiefs Era
When asked about the Bengals’ defensive struggles, the response drew a direct comparison to the Kansas City Chiefs during Patrick Mahomes’ first season as a starter.
“It’s kind of like the Chiefs did the first year. You know, we had the high-flying offense, but you know, our defense wasn’t the best, or maybe the coordinator didn’t have the best schemes,” he explained.
Back then, Kansas City relied heavily on Mahomes’ explosive offense to win shootouts while the defense lagged behind. But things changed when the Chiefs decided to switch coordinators, bringing in Steve Spagnuolo and adding key defensive players.
“They did make a change, went to Spags, got some guys that could play defense, and now that kind of went a whole different way now that where defense is damn near more important than the offense is right now,” added Mahomes Sr.
For Cincinnati, it’s clear that defensive adjustments could define their next step forward. If the Bengals can mirror that blueprint, shoring up the defense while keeping their offensive firepower intact, they could be on the verge of a real breakthrough.
The key lesson is simple: balance wins championships, and Cincinnati may just be one smart adjustment away.