Main Photo: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Duke Tobin Might Finally Be On the Hot Seat for the Bengals

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Will Koshover | Last updated Nov 7, 2025 12:30 PM ET

Duke Tobin has been the Director of Player Personnel for the Cincinnati Bengals since 1999. In that time, he’s seen plenty of success and, more recently, some struggles in drafting players for the most patient organization in professional sports. He also runs the smallest scouting staff in the league and trusts limited voices, including Assistant General Managers Trey Brown, Mike Potts, and Steven Radicevic. Tobin and his staff have missed on many players throughout the draft since 2022 on adequately bolstering the offensive line, and to a larger extent, the defensive side of the ball. The Bengals do business differently than most teams, and the draft is their lifeblood as they use free agency sparingly and are often reluctant to make trades. These recent missteps have put the spotlight on Tobin for the first time, and he seems to have a warm seat on whether he’ll return for 2026.

Director of player personnel Duke Tobin walks the field during practice at the Paycor Stadium practice field in downtown Cincinnati on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.

Duke Tobin Might Finally Be On the Hot Seat for the Bengals

Defensive Misses

Tobin has spent the last four seasons trying to rebuild the defense. In that span, he’s drafted 10 Top 100 picks on defense, tied for the most in the NFL (Eagles, Cardinals). This unit currently ranks dead last in yards allowed/game and tied for last in defensive EPA/play allowed, and it’s a direct reflection of missing on so many selections that have repercussions for the entire franchise. The picks include Dax Hill, Cam Taylor-Britt, Zachary Carter, Myles Murphy, DJ Turner, Jordan Battle, Kris Jenkins, McKinnley Jackson, Shemar Stewart, and Demetrius Knight.

When you whiff on these many drafts, it puts the entire organization behind even further, and that can’t happen when you are watching the prime of franchise quarterback Joe Burrow slip through your fingers.

Joe Burrow Era

Speaking of Burrow, you could argue in 2020 that the selections of Burrow, Higgins, and even Logan Wilson didn’t take much foresight, considering Cincinnati had the first overall pick that season, and subsequently, picked at the top of each round.

Tobin did a commendable job the following season, supplementing the roster with free agent contributors such as Trey Hendrickson, D.J. Reader, and Vonn Bell, who would help propel the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI and back-to-back AFC Championships. These big swings have been too far and too few between, though, and this roster isn’t good enough now, and the future is cloudy.

Trey Brown Lurking

The Assistant General Managers all received promotions in the offseason, and the next in line to succeed Tobin in the event he was fired would be Trey Brown, who’s highly regarded in league circles. He’s consistently interviewed with many teams over the last couple of years, and the team would likely hire from within if a move were to be made.

Ownership will have some difficult decisions to make heading into the offseason, and if they’re being honest, they have an uphill climb to get back to the top of not only the AFC North but the entire conference.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: