A 31-Year-Old Bengals Lineman Ranks Eighth at His Position in Pressures and Gets Little Credit

Any talk about the Cincinnati Bengals’ rebuilt defensive line starts with Dexter Lawrence, the 350-pound tackle they traded for in April. The man lined up next to him has nearly matched his production. Jonathan Allen, 31, has 14 pressures through four games, which ranks eighth among 129 interior defenders, according to PFF.

Read more Preliminary Competition Concludes At 2026 Thoroughbred Makeover

Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic named Allen this week as the Bengals player who deserves more attention. “He’s an adult in the room, and he’s wrecking the game when given a chance,” Dehner wrote. He also cited PFF’s pass-rush win rate on true pass sets, where Allen’s 21.6 percent is tied for fifth among 43 qualifiers. The praise arrives with Cincinnati sitting at 2-2 after back-to-back losses.

What Jonathan Allen’s 14 pressures look like

They break down as two sacks, four hits and eight hurries on 113 pass-rush snaps. Lawrence has 15 pressures on 125, according to PFF. One pressure separates them, and Allen’s four quarterback hits lead the Bengals in PFF’s charting.

He has done it on a lighter workload than he’s used to. Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson noted after the opener that Allen averaged 48 snaps a game over his first nine seasons. He has played 174 in four games with Cincinnati, fewer than 44 a game, and he likes how the Bengals are using him.

“I love it. I’m a big fan of letting the D-line go,” Allen told Hobson in September. “Four-man rush, the coaches are trusting us to get there.”

Read more How Notre Dame’s ‘Play Like a Champion Today’ sign became a lasting tradition

There is a reason the credit has been slow to arrive. PFF grades Allen at 51.8 overall, 88th at his position, with a 45.2 run-defense grade that ranks 95th. Fans on the riverfront spent the last two seasons watching this defense get pushed around, though, and Dehner wrote that Allen’s professionalism and work ethic have been “imperative to changing the personality” of the unit.

The Bengals play at Miami on Sunday before their bye. Allen signed in March after Minnesota released him, and he told Hobson in June what he wanted out of the move.

“It’s the place that I feel is going to be the best for my career, and hopefully I can end my career here,” Allen said.

Read more Raphinha Injury: The Barcelona Games Hansi Flick’s Star Man Will Miss

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published October 9, 2026 at 7:12 AM.