Report: Cincinnati Bengals to sign Pro Bowl DT Jonathan Allen

The Cincinnati Bengals are signing two-time Pro Bowl DT Jonathan Allen, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported Thursday afternoon. It is a two-year deal, worth a max of $28 million with incentives.

Allen’s former team, the Minnesota Vikings, parted ways with him on Wednesday. With Minnesota $40-plus million over the cap, the move did not come as a surprise. He was the Vikings’ second-highest paid player ($23.8 million) behind All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson ($38.9 million).

In his lone season with Minnesota, Allen recorded a career-high 68 tackles with 7 TFL and 3.5 sacks. He had spent his previous eight NFL seasons with the Washington Redskins/Commanders.

Bengals signing DT Jonathan Allen to a 2-year deal worth a max of $28M with incentives. (via @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/ThG6BSt3Co

— NFL (@NFL) March 12, 2026

Although Allen enjoyed a strong season, it did not quite parlay into success for the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota’s defense ranked third in the NFL in allowed yards (282.6) and ranked seventh in allowed points (19.6) per game, but finished with a disappointing 9-8 record and missed the Playoffs for the second time in the past three seasons.

Jonathan Allen cemented himself as one of greatest defensive players in Washington history

Allen enjoyed a prestigious college career at Alabama, earning All-SEC First Team honors from 2014-2016. He also won multiple Awards, including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Ted Hendricks Award, the Lombardi Award, and the label of SEC’s 2016 Defensive Player of the Year. He helped lead the Crimson Tide to a National Championship in 2015 and was named a Unanimous All-American in 2016, which parlayed into a First Round NFL Draft selection by the Washington Redskins.

During his time in Washington, Allen cemented himself as one of the greatest defensive players in team history. Across eight seasons, the Anniston, AL native recorded 401 tackles, 60 TFL, 45.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. He seemed a change of scenery following the 2024 season, which led to his release on March 7, 2025 (signed with Minnesota). Almost one year later, he was released to free agency once again.

He now lands with the Cincinnati Bengals, looking to add to its defense that was among one of the worst in the NFL last season. Just like the Dallas Cowboys, the Bengals boasted one of the best offenses in the NFL, while also trotting out one of the worst defenses. Cincinnati’s defense ranked second-to-last in the NFL in yards allowed per game (380.9 YPG) and third-to-last in points allowed per game (28.9 PPG).