Cincinnati Bengals fans have heard before that Joe Burrow’s offensive line is the key to an entire season.
One could argue that such an honor goes to the defense in 2026, especially after the front office spent in free agency on names like Bryan Cook and Boye Mafe before the Dexter Lawrence trade.
Alas, ESPN’s Seth Walder recently pointed out why the left side of Burrow’s offensive line is an x-factor to watch next season.
“Orlando Brown Jr. and Dylan Fairchild ranked in the bottom 20th percentile in pass block win rate at their positions last season, and keeping quarterback Joe Burrow upright is critical to Cincinnati’s success,” Walder wrote. “Brown has posted far better win rates in the past, and Fairchild was a rookie, so both could be better in 2026.”
The Bengals are counting on Dylan Fairchild to keep developing at a positive rate. Both he and Orlando Brown should benefit from fewer quarterback changes compared to last year’s carousel.
Helpful, too, should be the insight gleaned into evolving Burrow’s attack, especially after seeing what worked for Joe Flacco last year.
As a whole, the defense is probably more critical to contention chances, but the Bengals certainly need the best offensive line of the Joe Burrow era to match such a description.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals’ biggest x-factor before training camp is an old problem
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